


A Bad Desire

by madamebomb



Series: The Smoke Demons Saga [8]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Age Difference, F/M, Side Story, Tam is my OC, please be aware of the age difference between them, smoke demons saga, this runs alongside with or with out you
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-08
Updated: 2020-11-20
Packaged: 2021-02-19 04:29:01
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 30
Words: 120,795
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22171843
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/madamebomb/pseuds/madamebomb
Summary: Kyoshi Warrior Tam and Councilman Piandao find themselves inexplicably drawn together by an attraction stronger than either one of them can resist. As unknown forces try to tear the Fire Nation apart, they'll find something within each other worth fighting for. Smoke Demons Saga #8 - Runs Concurrently with With Or Without You!
Relationships: Tam/Piandao
Series: The Smoke Demons Saga [8]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/339349
Comments: 148
Kudos: 127





	1. Tam

**Author's Note:**

> This story is set in the world of the Smoke Demons Saga, and runs alongside the 7th story in the Saga, "With Or Without You." It features my OC, Tamarind (Tam for short), who is a Kyoshi Warrior, and Master Piandao, the swordmaster and newest member of Zuko's council. Just be aware, if this is something that squicks you, Tam and Piandao have a large age gap between them. She's 25, and he's 52.
> 
> Also, this story runs concurrently with "With Or Without You" and features plot points from that story. I spun Tam and Piandao off into their own side story because I really, really wanted to explore their dynamic, but didn't want to do it in the main story, which already has so much going on. I wanted to keep my focus on Sokka, Azula, Suki, and Zuko there. So Tam and Piandao get their own story. Really, I'm just indulging myself.
> 
> If you're reading "With Or Without You" and decide this story isn't for you but are concerned you may miss out on some plot stuff, worry not! Anything affecting the main plot of "With Or Without You" will be referenced there by the characters. I promise you won't miss anything important, and you can mostly think of this story as supplemental material.
> 
> I'll also note in parentheses what chapter of WOWY each chapter of this story should be read before or after so you can read both stories in order if you'd like.
> 
> Anyway, enough notes! I hope you guys enjoy this and thanks for indulging my shipping!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Read Chapter 34 of With Or Without You before reading this)

* * *

Tam stifled a yawn behind her gloved hand as she walked through the echoing corridors of the palace's east wing. She passed several members of the Royal Guard, standing at attention against the walls. They watched her as she went; she could feel their eyes on her all the way down the corridor.

Things in the palace had been tense since the failed assassination attempt on Councilman Guo's life just two days prior. The palace complex and the Caldera were on lockdown, per Suki's orders. Tam wondered how long that would last. Probably until that assassin woke up and they got some answers about why she had tried to kill Guo, and for whom.

Until then, every guard in the palace was on high alert for signs of trouble. Including her, despite how much she was craving a nap at the moment. She had to keep on guard.

It wasn't easy. Zuko had taken the rest of the Kyoshi Warriors with him to Ba Sing Se, leaving only Ty Lee and herself to guard Suki, and splitting the shifts had left both of them a little weary.

Of course, Suki was also chafing under their watchful eye. Tam couldn't blame her. Suki was a Kyoshi Warrior, with or without her paint and uniform. She didn't need guarding.

 _Well...at least she didn't before Zuko knocked her up,_ Tam thought with amusement. She wondered what Zuko was going to say to _that_ little surprise when he got back from Ba Sing Se. It would definitely blow his Groom's Gift out of the water.

Still, before Suki had found out she was pregnant, being her guard had been a lot less stressful. Now Tam was worried about her. Not just her, but the baby as well. Suki had already fainted after fighting the assassin. What if something had happened to her? What if she miscarried because of the stress?

The thought kept her awake, despite how tired she was. She'd tossed and turned all night and woke up crabby and short of sleep for her shift that morning.

She wasn't the only one worried. Ty Lee had been on duty at the time of the attack and she was still kicking herself for letting Suki out of her sight. No matter what Suki or Tam told her, Ty Lee was still worrying herself into knots about it, and some of her paranoia and guilt had infected Tam as well.

Whatever was happening in the palace, it was up to Tam and Ty Lee to make sure no one came near Suki or the baby. She just hoped all of this stress wouldn't affect Suki too badly.

Tam was deep in thought when she turned a corner and ran smack dab into a young guardsman. He gasped and backed up a little, catching her arms when she bounced back from his chest. She looked up into his face and saw him smile brightly.

"Just the lady I was looking for!" he said, but then stopped. "I think. Tamarind?"

Tam arched her eyebrow, yanking her arms out of his grip. "Yeah... Do I know you?"

"Not as such. I was sent to find you," he said, and she immediately reached for the sword at her belt. He saw the movement and started, holding up his hands. "Whoa!"

"Who sent you? What's your name?"

The young man had a neatly trimmed beard and piercing hazel eyes that searched her face and then flicked down to her hand clutching her sword.

"I'm Hung."

"I doubt that. What do you want?" she said sharply, as his face went a little red.

"Councilman Piandao sent me. He wants to speak to you in his office. I wasn't sure it was you or the other one. Your Captain. You all look alike to me in your uniforms. I meant no harm," Hung said, backing up a step.

At the mention of Piandao, Tam instantly relaxed. "Councilman Piandao sent you?"

"Yes. Obviously."

"About what?"

"I didn't ask. Would you like me to escort you to his office? He wasn't sure if you knew where it was," Hung said, sweeping his hand out. Tam hesitated and then rolled her eyes when she realized she actually _didn't_ know where Piandao's office was.

"Yeah, okay. Lead the way," she mumbled and then fell into step with him. They walked down the corridor side by side, leaving Tam to glance up at his profile. He was cute, in a puppy-dog sort of way. The beard didn't suit him though.

"Sorry about that back there."

But Hung shrugged. "Understandable. This lockdown has everyone on edge. Even Captain Lio seems a bit tenser than usual. I even heard him raise his voice in the morning meeting. You were right to question me."

"How do you know Piandao?"

"I'm assigned to his personal protection unit," Hung said proudly, and then smiled wryly. "Not that he needs it. I've sparred with the man. He's taken me down in three moves, and I'm the best in our unit."

"The way Zuko tells it, he took on a hundred Fire Nation soldiers at once, and won."

"Yeah, thirty years ago," Hung snorted, but then hesitated and said, "But I'll admit he hasn't lost a step. I wouldn't want to face him in a real fight. He's pretty spry for an old guy."

"He's not old!" Tam said hotly, her face instantly growing warm.

"He's my dad's age. Maybe a little older," Hung said, glancing sidelong at her. She tried to school her face, but couldn't quite master it. Hung's expression was a little amused as they walked. "Wait, you don't have a crush on him, do you?"

Tam stopped dead in her tracks, causing Hung to stop too, turning to face her in the corridor. "Excuse me?"

"Isn't he a little old for you?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Tam said, lifting her chin and walking past him.

"Well, you wouldn't be the first," Hung said, rubbing at the back of his neck.

She stopped and turned to face him. "What do you mean?"

But Hung shrugged again, shooting her a charming smile that just irritated her. "Let's just say he gets a lot of female visitors."

"Well..." Tam said, her throat closing unexpectedly. "That's his business."

"And he's doing a lot of it."

Tam frowned as they started walking again. Hung's words settled into her stomach like lead, though she wasn't sure why. She felt...disappointed, maybe? Like she'd found out something nasty she hadn't expected. She'd thought...

 _I thought Piandao was a different sort of man_ , she admitted to herself and then blushed beneath her paint at her own hypocrisy. Hung had pegged her pretty much instantly; she had a raging crush on Councilman Piandao, and admittedly, she had never been good at hiding things like that. Her mother called her a born flirt, and her father had been loudly expecting her to end up knocked up, just like her big sister Saffron.

She'd defied those expectations so far, but she certainly wasn't a blushing virgin. Far from it. Why should she be disappointed at hearing that Piandao was no different?

Still, it played on her mind as she and Hung walked to his office.

"Do you know what he wanted from me?"

"Didn't ask," Hung said. "But he's been obsessing over that assassination attempt. I assume it's about that."

Tam didn't say anything, lost in thought as they walked, and only realized that Hung was leading her into the west wing of the palace, which was the oldest. The rest of the Council all had offices in the newer east wing, nearer to the Council's meeting room, the throne room, and Zuko's office. Her hand strayed to her fan on her belt, but before she could draw it or ask Hung where he was taking her, he pulled up in front of a heavy oak door that was old and scratched and unadorned.

Beside the door was a small golden plaque inscribed with Piandao's name and position on the Council. There was another guard positioned on the wall opposite the door, standing at attention. Hung nodded at him as Tam frowned.

"This is his office?"

"The Fire Lord offered him Osamu's old office, but he chose this one instead. I think he likes the view," Hung said, knocking on the door.

"Enter," a voice called before Hung opened the door and gestured her inside. She didn't know why she felt nervous, walking into the room, but her hand stayed on her fan until she spotted the man framed in the large window before her. "Tamarind, welcome. Thank you for coming. I hope I didn't drag you away from your duties?"

Piandao smiled at her as the morning sunlight poured into the room, throwing bright yellow light across the white-washed walls and the battered desk neatly piled with papers and scrolls. The light bathed his dusky skin and turned his dark gray eyes into storm-swept skies.

Tam hitched in a breath and fought the urge to make sure her hair hadn't come down from it's elaborate, heavy coil at the back of her neck. The blood rushed to her face and not for the first time, she was grateful for the heavy layer of white paint she wore.

"No, Councilman. I just came off of my shift guarding Suki."

Piandao surveyed her, his hands clasped behind his back. He was wearing a dark black robe, lined with gold, and his gray-streaked hair was pulled back into its usual neat knot. His beard looked freshly trimmed, and it suited him better than Hung's suited him. She wondered if Hung had copied Piandao.

She couldn't blame him if he had. Just standing in front of him made her knees feel like they were going to buckle. She found him devastatingly attractive and she couldn't for the life of her get the memory of him shirtless, all covered in sweat from his workout out of her mind.

"Then I'm sorry to be intruding on your private time. I'm sure you're tired from your duties."

Tam shrugged. "Mostly I just stand around all day and look menacing. Ask your guardsman. I mistook him for an assassin in the hallway and nearly pulled a sword on him. I think he soiled himself."

Hung had come into the room behind her and she heard him clear his throat a little.

"We surprised each other, that's all," Hung said. "You're the one with the hair-trigger."

"If he's the best in your unit, you may want to upgrade," Tam said and heard Hung growl a little behind her. She smiled and looked up to see Piandao watching them with his chin tilted a little. His eyes flicked from her to Hung and back again.

"Hung has my full confidence in his abilities, I assure you," Piandao said softly, stepping away from the window and gesturing her toward one of the comfortable brown leather chairs sitting in front of his battered desk. She sat down and then glanced back at Hung. "I trust him. That's why I sent him to find you."

"I'll leave you to it then, Councilman," Hung said, bowing to Piandao and then glancing at her as she looked back at him again. " _Tamarind._ "

" _Hung_."

Hung ducked out of the room, closing the door behind him and leaving her to turn back to Piandao, who was standing behind his chair, his eyes on the door for a lingering moment.

"I hope he didn't say something to offend you," Piandao said.

_Isn't he a little old for you?_

Hung's words rang in her ears as she looked up into Piandao's stormy gray eyes. She shook her head.

"No. Of course not," she said as she leaned back in the chair. It nearly swallowed her whole instantly. It was comfortable and squashy and the leather was butter soft. She vowed on the spot to steal it and put it in her room so she could nap in it all day.

Piandao let out a breath and then pushed his chair back, sinking down to sit before her. "Good. Forgive me, but you do seem on edge about something."

 _It's because every time you look at me I get the urge to sit in your lap and bite your bottom lip_ , she thought hard, feeling warmth spread in her middle.

"It's the lockdown. I'm worried about Suki. In her condi—" Tam started and then stopped, her eyes widening a little. She'd been about to say "condition" and that was the last thing she needed to let spill. Not only was Suki's pregnancy a secret, but the last people who needed to know was Zuko's Council. Suki was worried about what they'd say about her and the baby once the secret became common knowledge, especially since she and Zuko weren't married yet.

The Council was full of vicious vipers, and even though the worst of those vipers was currently in the hospital ward still unconscious and recovering from a dagger to the chest, there were still enough fangs left on the council to hurt Suki.

Tam knew Piandao was probably the exception to that rule, but Suki's pregnancy wasn't her secret to spill.

"What about the Seneschal? Is she well? I know she fainted after the assassination attempt."

Tam tucked a strand of her dark hair back behind her ear. "It was nothing. She's fine. Worried sick about Guo and stressing about everything else, but she'll pull through. She's good in a crisis."

Piandao's lips curled at the corners, a ghost of a smile. "And yourself? You seem like you're a very competent young woman."

"Me? Oh no, I'm a total wreck. There's screaming, crying, bloodshed... Maybe a little thumb-sucking in the corner," she said with a laugh. Piandao's eyes glittered as he sat back in his chair. "Which usually helps calm me down, until the person whose thumb I'm sucking gets all weird about it."

Piandao put his fingers against his mouth, hiding what she suspected was a smile. She glowed in the warmth of it, as amusement danced in his eyes.

"You're a very unusual young woman."

"I'll take that as a compliment."

"I meant it at as one," Piandao said earnestly, and then seemed to catch himself. He cleared his throat and looked down at his desk, leaving her feeling flustered and warm. " _Ahem._ You're probably wondering what I wanted to speak to you about..."

 _Just ask me to marry you already,_ Tam thought and then blushed, as Piandao looked up at her again. He swallowed and looked away quickly, reaching for the top drawer of his desk. He pulled out something wrapped in red silk and placed it on top of his desk between them.

She watched as he unwrapped it, revealing a familiar dagger, still stained with blood. She hitched in a breath and glanced up at him. "The assassin's dagger."

Piandao nodded. "I wanted to study it more. I have some experience with weapon's craft—"

"Zuko said you make your own."

Piandao met her eyes and then nodded solemnly. "It's a hobby of mine. I believe a man should put his own blood, sweat, and tears into the weapons he intends to use to defend himself."

"Or woman," she said, reaching for the dagger. Piandao's lips twitched again and he nodded.

"Or woman," he amended, watching her as she held up the dagger. She'd already examined it in the Council chamber, but something about it nagged at her. She didn't know what it was. It was just familiar to her. "You seem like you have some knowledge of weapons yourself."

"I make a living by my sword and fan. It helps to know a good blade from a shoddy one."

"And who makes your fans? Your swords?" Piandao asked her in a measured voice. Tam's brow lifted a little and she glanced down at the dagger.

"Suki's mother made both of them, actually. She makes all of our weapons. She has a blacksmith's shop on Kyoshi."

"May I see your fan?"

"Why?"

Piandao's eyes glittered. "Curiosity."

Tam frowned, but she pulled the golden fan out of her belt anyway, passing it over to him. She watched as he opened it, examining the thin metal and running his hands over it. She shifted in her seat, the leather creaking beneath her, watching his slender fingers caress the metal ribs. He tested the edge and seemed impressed at how sharp it was. She didn't blame him. Kyoshi fans were sharp enough to slice through boiled leather and the flesh beneath it.

He looked up at her over the edge of the fan and she sucked in a breath, wondering if he could see where her mind was, but he just tightened his lips.

"It's beautiful. In my travels, I heard so many tales about the Warriors of Kyoshi and their skill with Tessenjutsu, but I'm afraid I never managed to make it to the shores of the island."

"We wouldn't have taught it to you. You're an outsider," she said with a wicked smile.

"I could be very charming in my youth," he said lightly. "When necessary."

"You're still young," she said.

"If only that were true. It's all I can do to keep up with Hung in the practice ring."

"He said you kick his ass every time."

Piandao didn't hide his smile this time, but he said modestly, "He keeps me on my toes."

"Not well enough, if you can take him down in three moves. Maybe you need to spar with someone better trained?"

Piandao's eyes flicked over her and then he drew in a sharp breath. He cleared his throat again and looked back down at the fan in his fingers. "Perhaps."

Tam watched him as he examined the fan again, glowing a little and thinking about the smile that had chased across his lips. She liked seeing that smile. She was caught up in her thoughts when Piandao said something she didn't catch.

"Huh?"

"Suki's mother? This is her touchmark, yes? The little fan-shape here in the corner?" Piandao asked, pointing to a small shape in the corner of the fan.

"Oh! Yes. Nari puts it on everything."

She saw Piandao's eyes darken for a moment. Then he closed the fan and handed it back to her across the desk. She took it, wondering why he'd asked to see it.

"So what do you make of the dagger?"

She shrugged again. "It's well-made like I said before. Familiar, I think. Like I've seen it before? But that may be the design. Daggers like that all look alike. The blacksmith who made this is talented, but this dagger...this isn't the kind of weapon an assassin would be carrying. It's not a throwing dagger, not unless you're the world's best knife-thrower. The balance is off for that," she mused, balancing it on one finger and watching as the point rose. "I can't imagine why an assassin would carry it."

"Neither can I, and it's bothering me," Piandao said, coming around the desk and sitting down on the edge of it before her. He crossed his arms over her chest and glowered a little. "There's something else. Beneath the wrappings. I found a touchmark."

Tam sucked in a breath and looked up at him again. The light in his eyes was stormy, the corners of his lips pulling down. Tam looked back at the blade and then noticed that the brown leather wrappings had been unwrapped and then loosely wrapped again. She grasped the tucked end and slowly unraveled it.

There, near the blunt end of the pommel, was a small mark pressed into the metal. The moment she saw it, her hand shook and she gasped, leaping out of the comfortable leather chair and backing up several feet.

"That's impossible," Tam said in a rush, her heart beating fast. "This is some kind of mistake. She wouldn't...There's got to be an explanation."

Piandao eyed her as she stared at the touchmark on the blade. She didn't want to believe it, but she knew that mark. It was unmistakable.

"It's the same mark."

"I know her, she wouldn't have anything to do with this. She sells her work all over. She ships to the mainland all of the time. The assassin could have bought this in Omashu or Republic City. It's just a coincidence. Nari would never try to kill Zuko! Why would she?"

Piandao leaned away from the desk, standing before her as she stopped dead in her tracks, staring at him. The dagger felt heavy in her fingers. She looked down at the small touchmark, shaped like a Kyoshi Warrior fan. It was the same mark that was on her fan and her sword.

No wonder the dagger looked familiar. She'd seen Nari making ones just like it for half of her life. Her own father had one tucked in among his fishing gear, for emergencies. She felt a little dizzy and looked up at Piandao, who was watching her with those stormy eyes of his.

"Does anyone else know about this?"

"No. I haven't told anyone what I've found. Just you."

"Why not?"

"Because I don't think it's a coincidence, this dagger being used in an assassination attempt on Lord Guo."

"Nari wouldn't—" Piandao reached forward, grasping her shoulders and stopping her. The words died on her throat as she looked up into his eyes.

"I don't think Suki's mother is behind the attack."

Tam's jaw tightened. "Suki wouldn't do this either and if you think that, then—"

But Piandao shook his head. "Of course I don't think that. The Seneschal is a lot smarter than that. She certainly wouldn't use a weapon with her own mother's touchmark on it to try and kill Guo. And she wouldn't have botched the job. No, I think someone wants us to _believe_ that she would."

Tam's eyes widened. "A set-up? But why?"

Piandao frowned. "I don't know. That's why I asked you to come. I suspected, by the fan shape of the touchmark, that it was related to Suki or the Kyoshi Warriors somehow, but I wasn't sure. I needed proof."

"And what are you going to do with your proof now that you have it?"

Piandao dropped his hands from her shoulders. "I don't know. I should tell the Council, but... I'm afraid it doesn't look good for the Seneschal. I believe she had nothing to do with it, but there are others on the Council who won't."

"We should tell Suki, at least. She needs to know," Tam said firmly. "If someone is trying to set her up to take the fall for what happened to Guo, then we have to get to the bottom of it."

"I agree. Perhaps Guo could tell us what he knows if he's awake yet."

"Or the assassin. She's got a lot to answer for," Tam said and then passed the dagger back to Piandao. "And if someone is trying to get to Suki, then I want the bastard found before he can accomplish whatever it is he's after. Frankly, I could use a fight."

Piandao cocked his head at her and that ghost of a smile twitched the corners of his mouth again. "I know exactly how you feel, Tamarind."

 _If you knew how I felt you'd take advantage of me on that desk right now_ , Tam thought and then shoved her horny thoughts aside. Suki was in trouble. She needed to focus.

"We need to find the Seneschal."

"Lead the way, Councilman," she said, gesturing to the door.

"Please, call me Piandao," he said, putting his hand on her back. He was much too close. She could smell his cologne. It was spicy and mouthwatering.

 _And you can call me yours,_ she thought and then kicked herself. _Focus now. Fantasize later._

But as Piandao's hand lingered on the small of her back, she couldn't help the shivers that raced along her skin. Being this close to him was almost torture, and she doubted he was even aware of it.

Life was unfair.


	2. Piandao

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Read Chapter 34 of With Or Without You before reading this.)

“Thank you for telling me about the dagger,” Suki said softly, looking between Piandao and Tam, her expression both stunned and serious. “I'd appreciate it if you'd keep this to yourselves until I figure out what to do.”

“Of course,” Piandao said, bowing a little to the Seneschal. “I think it's wise to keep this amongst ourselves for as long as we can. At least until Councilman Guo is awake and can answer some questions for us.”

“That's what I was thinking,” Suki said, chewing on her bottom lip. “I don't want them to think I'm trying to hide this, but I need more information before I take this to them. Lady Lian and Bai will jump on this, I know they will.”

“That's what I was thinking,” Piandao said. “They're very much Guo's puppets. They oppose you because he does.”

“Bai perhaps. Lady Lian can't stand me for reasons all her own, and it's mutual,” Suki said, making a face. “Madame Biyu thinks for herself, but she might side with them if she thinks I'm behind the attack. I think Duke Ru would have my back, but it's hard to tell with him. General Mak is probably the only true neutral on the Council. He'd go with the evidence, regardless of his feelings.”

“Then let's find the evidence to prove you're being set up,” Tam piped up. “If we can get ahead of this, then the Council won't have any leverage to use it against you.”

“I don't even know where to start,” Suki said tiredly, rubbing at her brow. The sun streamed down on her, highlight the red tint to her hair. “Spirits, I... I wish Zuko were here.”

“Funny how this all started the moment he left,” Ty Lee said, rubbing at her chin. “I don't think it's a coincidence.”

“Neither do I,” Suki said darkly, and then glanced at the sun high overhead. “We have to call a Council meeting. The assassin is dead. The others will want to know.”

“I'll handle the arrangements for the meeting,” Piandao said quickly. “You look shaken up, Seneschal. Perhaps you'd like to rest?”

But Suki shook her head. “No. I'm fine. I...” She stopped and groaned, rubbing at the back of her neck. “I have a fitting for my wedding dress this afternoon. Fen is expecting me in ten minutes.”

Tam stepped forward, grasping Suki by the shoulders. “Go to your fitting. No matter what's going on right now, the wedding is still going to happen.”

“Somehow I have a feeling someone is trying to stop it by framing me.” Piandao privately agreed but declined to voice his opinion on the matter. Suki sighed and touched Tam's hands on her shoulder.

“If they try I'll kill them myself,” Tam said with a growl to her voice.

“We don't even know who _they_ are,” Suki said.

“We'll find out, don't worry about it,” Tam said. But Suki looked worried anyway.

“Thanks, Tam. Councilman Piandao,” Suki said, bowing to them.

“Tam, I'm doubling the guard on Suki until we can figure out what's going on. If you could head to Captain Lio and tell him to assign some of his men to guard duty, I'd appreciate that,” Ty Lee said. “You and I will stay on the same schedule as before.”

“Of course, Captain,” Tam said. “I'll go to Lio now and then I'll be back for my evening shift.”

Suki and Ty Lee walked away, with Suki still staring numbly at the dagger bearing her mother's touchmark. Tam watched them go, a worried expression on her painted face.

Piandao clasped his hands behind his back, watching them for a moment. His eyes drifted back to Tam, however. He couldn't help it. His eyes had been willingly falling on the young woman since his first day in the palace.

“You know the Seneschal better than I do,” Piandao said. “Is she well? She seems paler than usual.”

Tam started, and then glanced after Suki and Ty Lee. “She's...uh... Well, I can't tell you, but she's okay. I promise.”

“Is the Seneschal pregnant?”

“WHAT?!” Tam's eyes widened and she looked around quickly, stepping close, her voice dropping. “Where did you hear that?”

Piandao's lips twitched. “I'll take that as a yes.”

Tam's mouth opened and then closed. “How did you know?”

“It was just a guess,” he said mildly. “I haven't heard anything if you're concerned.”

Tam let out a breath, visibly relaxing. “She just found out the other day. Zuko doesn't even know. You cannot tell anyone.”

“The Seneschal's secret is safe with me. At least there's a bit of happy news in this whole mess.”

Tam smiled, pushing a stray strand of her dark hair behind her ear. “There is that. I think Suki's still in shock, but if you ask me she should have seen it coming. She and Zuko have going at it every chance they get. What did she expect to happen?”

“They're young and in love. These things happen.”

“Believe me, I guard their suite most nights. It's been happening _a lot_ ,” Tam said, shooting him in a cheeky grin. He felt his face blaze and coughed politely. Tam's smile dropped a moment later and her expression went dark. “I'll be happy when this all over and done with and they get married. Whoever is after Suki is going to have to get through me to get to her,” Tam said with a hard edge to her voice, turning to him and lifting her chin.

Piandao felt his blood stirring at the fierce look on her face.

“I have no doubt that you could take on an army by yourself, Tamarind,” he said softly, fighting the smile that tugged on his lips. “I'd prefer if it didn't come to that.”

“Feeling protective of me?” she shot at him, the fierce look in her eyes turning mischievous in a second, that smile of hers shooting across her mouth as fast as a lightning strike. Piandao swallowed and felt heat climb up the back of his neck.

“I don't think you need protecting, Tamarind.”

“Damn right I don't, Councilman,” she said warmly.

“Please, call me Piandao,” he said softly before he could stop himself. Tam bit down on her lip and he saw dimples in her cheeks for a moment. He drew in a sharp breath. “If you'd like.”

“As long as you keep calling me Tamarind. I like the way you say my name.”

His mouth felt very dry all of a sudden, his pulse pounding as if he'd just sparred with three men at once.

“How do I say it?” he asked, unable to stop himself.

“Like you're thinking something you shouldn't,” she said, and her dimples showed again, her dark lashes lowering over her green eyes for a moment. She looked back up at him and he saw the flash of her dimples again. A soft sound left her, a silvery laugh that ran shivers up the back of his hot neck. “You're blushing, Councilman.”

“Piandao.”

“ _Piandao_ ,” she corrected herself, and then glanced to the left, a look of regret fleeting across her face. “I have to go.”

“As do I,” he said, feeling completely out of sorts. His face felt hot, and it had nothing to do with the sun burning down on them. She was right. He was blushing. He reached forward and took her gloved hand. He told himself not to, but bent over her hand and kissed the backs of her fingers anyway. “Thank you for your help.”

“It was my pleasure,” she said, as he righted. She was very close, and he could smell the perfume clinging to her skin. It was a soft, feminine scent, citrus, and jasmine. Her red lips parted. He was still holding her hand. Her eyes hit his and he found that he couldn't look away.

“Perhaps...” he started, but then stopped himself, clearing his throat. He could see movement out of the corner of his eyes. Tam saw his hesitation and stepped closer.

“Perhaps what?” she asked breathlessly, as he dropped her hand.

“I...I have to go. Goodbye, Tamarind,” he said quickly, walking away from her as fast as he could, his hand fisting at his side, the scent of her perfume still clinging to his senses. He could feel her eyes on him as he walked away, heading across the palace gardens, his heart slamming hard behind his ribs.

 _You foolish old man_ , he thought with scorn. _She's half your age. What are you thinking?_

But he already knew. Something inappropriate, and entirely too tempting.

He ducked around a clump of azaleas, and Hung fell into step with him. He'd seen his guardsman following them at a distance while they'd spoken with the Seneschal, but he'd stayed back out of earshot. Piandao's face burned.

He wondered what Hung must be thinking. He'd seen him with Tamarind, after all, acting like a teenage boy, falling over himself because a beautiful girl had smiled at him.

How long had it been since he'd fallen to pieces because of a woman? Years, he knew. He'd given up romantic entanglements after that viper of a woman had torn his heart out of his chest and left him a broken shell of a man. He'd sworn to himself that he would never fall for a pretty face again.

He'd kept that promise for over twenty-five years, dedicating himself to his training, and teaching his pupils. He'd been tempted a time or two over the years, but he'd never been so attracted to a woman that it had overcome his oath.

Until now.

The things he was thinking were all too tempting, and completely intoxicating. He felt drunk as he walked, filled with desire and a burning need that he couldn't ignore.

 _You don't even know her,_ he chided himself. _She's too young for you anyway. A girl, really. And you? You're old enough to be her father. It's wrong._

And yet...

Her smile haunted him, the breathless way she spoke his name... It made his blood feel hot, it made long-forgotten needs rise in him like flames, scorching through the calm focus he'd cultivated so long ago. She made him feel spun about, unraveled, laid bare.

It had been like this for months, long before he'd ever even spoken to her.

He could still remember walking into Zuko's office the day he'd moved into the palace and accepted the empty council position that Zuko had offered him. He'd been hesitant to take the position. He'd never wanted to be a politician, after all.

He was a soldier and a weapon's master. He was more comfortable teaching others how to fight than sitting in endless council sessions going over laws and the minutia of running a country. He had taught Zuko to fight, however, and knew what kind of a man he was. Zuko was a good ruler, who cared about his people.

Unlike other young men his age and with his wealth and power, Zuko actually valued the wisdom of those around him. Piandao had finally accepted the position, knowing that he would be serving a man he respected, giving him strength and wisdom when necessary. The respect went both ways.

He hadn't known what to expect at the palace. He was no stranger to the place, having stayed there for a few months while teaching Zuko as a boy. He'd been given no choice in the training of the young prince, but the duty had become a pleasure. Returning had been strange.

The palace was different than it had been in Azulon and Ozai's time. The aura of fear and hatred had been changed, for the better. The people in the Fire Nation were happier too. He'd seen that himself over the last ten years.

Yet still, the prejudices that had fueled the war for a century were not gone, just dormant. He'd been wondering what kind of problems he'd be facing as a member of Zuko's council the day he'd gone to Zuko's office.

He hadn't been expecting _her._

She'd been standing in front of Zuko's office door, at attention, her back ramrod straight. He was familiar with the uniform of the Kyoshi Warriors and recognized her as a member of Zuko's bodyguards. They caught the eye, the Kyoshi Warriors, with their garish face paint and green and gold uniforms, which stood out in the Fire Nation like green parrots in a sea of firebirds.

It hadn't been the uniform or the paint that had caught his eye that first day, however.

It had been the look in her eyes as he'd approached Zuko's door. Her eyes were jewel green and sparkled as she'd looked at him with obvious interest written across her face. He'd been unable to stop himself from meeting her gaze.

And then she'd smiled at him, showing those dimples in her cheeks. It had felt like something had slammed into his chest like he'd taken an arrow to his knee. The blood had rushed to his head. He'd been dizzy all throughout that first meeting with Zuko, and no matter how hard he'd tried to concentrate on what the Fire Lord had been saying to him, his thoughts had drifted back to the Kyoshi Warrior guarding the door.

He hadn't learned her name that day, but he'd found himself looking at Zuko's guards every time he ran into one, searching for the young woman with the green eyes and the smile that had taken him so off-guard.

Whenever she was with Zuko at one of the Council sessions or guarding his office, Piandao found his eyes on her, despite how hard he tried to force his gaze away. It had been a long time since a woman had caught his eye the way she had.

He couldn't stop himself from wondering what she looked like without her paint on.

Or perhaps with her hair down...

Finally learning her name the other day hadn't helped any. _Tamarind_ , she'd said, smiling at him, with her eyes glittering like emeralds. He'd chided himself for being a silly old man after she'd walked away with the Seneschal and left him in the dojo the other day, but his thoughts kept going back to her no matter how hard he tried not to think about her.

He'd known the touchmark on the dagger had belonged to Suki's mother. Asking Tamarind to his office had just been an excuse to see her again, and he knew it. He should have sent for Captain Ty Lee, but when he'd summoned Hung her name had been on his lips instantly.

He could feel Hung watching him as they walked into the palace, heading back to his office. Hung didn't say anything and he was grateful. He needed a moment to think, to get himself back under control.

He'd been about to make an excuse to see her again, and he couldn't deny it. He'd wanted to ask her to dinner. Would she have laughed at him? Or politely declined? And did it matter?

It didn't take long to get to his office. Hung entered with him, and stood back near the door, while Piandao sat down at his desk. He wrote out notes to each of the council members, trying to keep his thoughts on his work, but no matter how hard he tried he couldn't banish her from his thoughts.

“Hung, if you could deliver these to the other members of the council. Lady Lian is at her home outside of the palace. She may decline to come,” he said, finishing the last note, dusting it with a fine layer of sand to dry the ink, and then blowing it off. He rolled it up with the others and stood.

Hung took the scrolls from his hands. “Of course, Councilman.”

“Thank you.”

Hung started for the door and then stopped, turning back to him with a shrewd look in his hazel eyes. “Councilman, may I ask you something?”

“Of course.”

“The Kyoshi Warrior. Tamarind? Uh, what do you think of her?”

Piandao stood up straight, his mouth suddenly dry. He met Hung's gaze for a hard moment. He went over to the window, hands clasped behind his back. Beyond the window, he had a perfect view of the gardens and the turtle-duck pond. The sunlight glimmered and sparkled in the hazy heat of the late afternoon.

“She seems very capable. Bright. Loyal. Fierce.”

“And she's a huge flirt.”

Piandao hesitated and then said over his shoulder. “I...I hadn't noticed.”

“Uh-huh,” Hung drawled. “Just like you haven't noticed all of the women who just happen to drop in on you, batting their eyelashes and flirting with you mercilessly.”

Piandao cleared his throat, shifting uncomfortably in front of the window. “I don't know what you mean,” he said, which was mostly a lie. Since he'd taken up his seat on the Council there had been a bewildering parade of women at his door, asking him to dinner, or bringing him plates of food. He politely declined when he could, but he'd been roped into a few uncomfortable evenings over the past six months.

None of those women had compared to the girl with green eyes, and no matter what he said to himself, he had been comparing them to her the whole time.

_At least those women are close to my own age... Spirits, I'm a fool..._

“Sure you don't,” Hung said, snorting a little. Piandao turned back to face him again. He quickly changed the subject, swinging back to the only woman he wanted to think about.

“Why are you asking after Tamarind?”

Hung shrugged, and then grinned a little. “I mean...did you see her? She's gorgeous. Even with the paint on. Maybe _because_ of the paint. It uh...certainly catches your eye. Not to mention the rest of her.”

The obvious heat and interest in Hung's voice made Piandao's fists tighten, knuckles white as he put them on the windowsill. He took a breath and forced his eyes closed for a moment, telling himself to breathe, to remember his meditation.

He knew that heat in Hung's voice though. It was hard not to notice Tamarind, paint or not. He'd seen how the guardsmen had looked at her as she passed them, the gleam of desire in their eyes, the hot want that followed in her wake. And he, the fool that he was, was as caught as the rest of them.

“I... Yes, she does catch the eye,” he said carefully, turning toward his window, hands clasped behind his back. “She's a beautiful young woman.”

“She's got a mouth on her, but I like that in a woman,” Hung said easily.

Piandao's shoulders stiffened and he felt something knotted and unfamiliar, painful and unexpected, start in his chest, deep behind his heart. He knew what it was, and felt angry at himself for it.

He had no reason to feel jealous that Hung had noticed what he had. No reason at all.

“She certainly has a way about her,” he said a diplomatically as he could. He leaned away from the window and turned to look at Hung, still holding the scroll against the door. He appraised Hung for a moment. He was tall, strong, with dark hair and a neatly trimmed beard. He was handsome. Young.

The exact kind of man that would catch the eye of a woman like Tamarind. He didn't blame Hung for being taken with her so quickly. And still, the knot of jealousy in him grew, expanding, trying to crush the air out of him.

“Are you interested in her?” he asked point-blank, unable to stop himself. He winced, running a hand down his face. “No, that's none of my business.”

Hung smiled again and shrugged. “I am interested in her.”

“I see.”

“There's just one problem.”

“And what is that?”

“I think she's got her eye on someone else,” Hung said pointedly. “And I think maybe he's interested in her, too. Unless I'm mistaken?”

Piandao stilled his heart in his throat. “I don't know what you mean.”

Hung took a step forward and said softly, “It's understandable. She's beautiful and—”

Piandao turned away, his gaze going out the window again. “That will be all, Hung. If you'll just do as I asked and deliver those letters for me.”

Hung hesitated. Piandao watched him out of the corner of his eye as he bowed to him and then slipped out of the door to his little office, leaving Piandao standing in front of the window with his heart racing and jealousy boiling in his veins.

He drew in a steadying breath and closed his eyes, trying to force the dark thoughts racing through his head to quiet, but he couldn't stop thinking about what Hung had hinted at. But as he opened his eyes stared out at the sunlight glistening on the surface of the turtle-duck pond, he couldn't help but think of the breathless way Tamarind had stepped closer to him, looking at him with that soft light in her green eyes...

It was stupid, he told himself, to dwell on what would never happen. Even if Tamarind weren't too young for him, he had turned away from love long ago. He never planned to go back on the promise he'd made to himself.

He'd made the mistake of falling once before when he should have known better.

Even now, across the years, he could still remember Hotaru's merciless golden eyes and the laugh that had torn his heart out of his chest. The wound had never healed.

“ _There's nothing in you worth loving, Piandao. You're a traitor. You disgust me,”_ she whispered in his memories, as he hit his knees in the mud before her. He could still feel how warm the summer rain had been on his bruised face, the blood flowing down his back from the lashes that had fallen like fire on his dark skin.

“You're a fool, Piandao,” he said to himself, putting his head against the cool windowpane, the phantom pain aching in his scarred back across the years. “The same fool who fell in love with the wrong woman all those years ago. Don't make the same mistake again, not now, when you're old enough to know better.”

Love was for the young and reckless and he was neither, no matter how tempted he was. He was only a man, after all. Tamarind was beautiful and clever. Of course, he'd noticed. Of course, he found her attractive. But she wasn't meant for him. She was meant for someone like Hung, and he knew it, no matter how much his body and his heart wanted him to forget that fact.

Until he could control himself, then he'd just have to avoid her.

It was what was best for the both of them.


	3. Tam

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (This takes place before/during Chapter 40 of With or Without You)

_Tam sank into the buttery soft leather chair, legs spread on the arms, her head tipping back as pleasure raced along her nerve-endings. Her mouth opened, gasps escaping her in little breathless puffs of air. Her fingers laced through his unbound hair, holding him tightly to her._

“ _Yes...don't stop...” she breathed as his beard tickled the soft skin of her thighs. His mouth ran along her skin, gathering flesh, nibbling at her until she was mindless with desire. He slipped his tongue against her, giving her exactly what she needed...what she wanted..._

_When he looked up at her, his stormy eyes were glassy with his own desire, his wet lips open, his tongue sliding along his bottom lip. A high blush had started in his dark cheeks. She wanted to kiss him. She wanted to pull him into her arms and never let him go._

“ _Tamarind...” he groaned and then put his mouth back between her throbbing legs. She clutched at his naked back, lost in the warm slip of his tongue, teasing her toward the edge. Her head tipped back again, a smile on her lips, as he took her slowly...so slowly... She rose and fell with each slow circle of his tongue, until she teetered...teetered..._

_And fell with a gasp, into nothingness and everything at once, his name on her lips..._

Tam moaned into her pillow, rolling over as the dream teased the edges of her memory. She stared up at the thin streams of dawn playing around the edges of her curtains, aware of an acute throb and wetness between her thighs.

She could feel her pulse, deep inside of her aching body, a teasing echo of the erotic dream that had ended before she'd been willing to let it go. She slipped her fingers beneath the blankets and into her underwear, chagrined at how soaked they were.

When she slipped her fingers against her wet flesh, she found her clit was hard and swollen, aching as she touched it.

“Oh, fuck...” Tam mumbled, grinning sleepily at the ceiling. She moaned, shifting her hips up and down on the bed, her fingers sliding gently over her flesh.

She let the dream wash over her again and again, trying to get back to it. The fantasy played in her head and she let it, bringing herself back to an edge she was pretty certain she'd already crested while she'd been asleep. She'd never orgasmed in her sleep before, but the evidence was overwhelming that she had, especially when she slipped her fingers inside of her warm body.

 _First time for everything,_ she thought with a laugh, biting her bottom lip. Her eyes rolled back in her head as she massaged her fingers in and out, teasing herself with what she really wanted. When she withdrew her hand and went back to her throbbing clit, it was all she could do not to squeeze her thighs together.

All she could think about were those stormy gray eyes, and the look he'd given her, all desire, and dark possession. Her toes curled as she brought herself back to the precipice as easily as breathing.

“Piandao...” she breathed, her hips tightening as she lifted into the slippery grind of her fingers. Her eyes slammed shut and she clutched at the sheets with her free hand as everything built within her, too much to withstand a moment longer.

She came with a little laugh, a soft exhale that bubbled out of her as the orgasm rolled over her in a sticky hot wave. Her left foot lifted off of the mattress and shook as her fingers stilled, hips working up and down. She exhaled, still laughing as her foot hit the bed again.

She slipped her hand out of her panties after a few deep inhales to regain her lost breath. She smiled at the ceiling, watching the light dancing in a slant across the white plaster. She felt boneless, everything below her waist tingling with aftershocks.

She wanted nothing more than to roll over and go back to sleep again, to recapture the dream and see it to its logical end, but she knew she couldn't. The sun was up and the day awaited, no matter how much she wanted to fantasize about Councilman Piandao all day, she knew she couldn't.

Or, at least not lay in bed all day while doing it. She knew she'd be thinking about the dream all day, duty or no duty.

Sighing, Tam threw back the covers and climbed out of the bed, biting down on her lip when she saw the wet spot on her sheets. She should have been embarrassed, but she wasn't. She mostly felt frustrated. It had only been a dream, after all, and not the real thing.

She made the bed and slung on her robe, walking over to the windows and pulling the curtains back to let the sunlight stream in. She stood at the wide windows looking down into the courtyard below her. She could see the stables from her window, usually a place of activity this early in the morning, but since the lockdown the place had been pretty quiet.

Running a hand through her tangled hair, she watched one of the stableman's children grooming an ostrich-horse in the paddock behind the stables. The ostrich-horse preened and danced from foot to foot as the child ran a brush along its gray feathers. Loose bits down and feathers loosened by the grooming danced in the air, floating across the paddock.

She watched the feathers dance in the warm sunlight, floating on the wind and then disappearing into nothing as they were drawn out of sight. Watching the feathers, she felt suddenly full of energy, a buzzing need beneath her skin that had not been slaked in the slightest, despite her best efforts.

She knew what she wanted, of course, but she also knew she wasn't going to get it. Not right now.

Huffing out an annoyed breath, she turned away from the window and went into the bathing room she shared with Kikki. She missed the rest of the girls, but she had to admit that she liked having the bathing room to herself. She did a quick wash up, brushed her teeth, and then dragged a brush through her hair, which was no easy task.

Her black hair was thick, waist-length, and unruly. She usually wore it coiled into an elaborate braided crown while she was on duty. Ty Lee and Suki weren't expecting her until noon, so the morning was hers until then. She brushed her hair and pulled it into a messy bun instead of her usual braid. Then she got undressed, tossing on a pair of soft red pants that tied low on her hips and gathered at her knees, and a matching crop top that tied around her neck and left very little to the imagination everywhere else.

It was too damned hot to wear anything else; summer in the Fire Nation could be a blistering punishment, especially in her Kyoshi uniform, which had been designed for the moderate, and often chilly climate of Kyoshi Island, where the summers were mild and their heavy uniforms were rarely uncomfortable.

One of these days she was going to push for a redesign of the uniform to better fit in with the Fire Nation's climate. She wasn't going to spend another summer sweating beneath her boiled leather armor, gloves, and boots just for the aesthetic.

She slipped her feet into some sandals and grabbed her fan and a practice sword from the stand in the corner, humming to herself as she left the room. The corridor was quiet and empty, but it didn't take her long to run into one of the Royal Guards, standing against the wall with a qiang in his hands at the first cross corridor she came to.

He eyed her as she passed, smirking but he didn't stop her. Instead, he wolf-whistled at her, making her turn around to face him again, her eyebrows lifting.

“Don't you have anything better to do than whistle at women, Guardsman?” she shot at him. “Like your job?”

“Can't blame me for appreciating the view,” he said easily, grinning lasciviously at her. Her brow lifted at that. “Especially not a view with an ass like that. _Damn_ , you're fine.” He bit his lip, his eyes crawling all over her.

“I don't need you to tell me that.”

“You look like you need _something_ , though. Maybe I could give it to you? I'm off duty in an hour. What do you say? Want to sit on my lap and bounce?”

“Wow, what a tempting offer,” Tam said mockingly, her voice dripping with sarcasm as she put her hand over her heart. “I feel so special. And not at all harassed.”

“Harassed? _Pssh._ Girl walks around with her tits out like that she's just asking for attention. Don't blame me for giving it to you,” he replied, scowling at her now. Tam tipped her head back, staring down her nose at him.

“What's your name?”

“Why?”

“Because I think your commanding officer would like to hear what you have to say about my tits,” Tam said, crossing her arms over her chest. His face went red and tightened his grip on his qiang.

“Just smile and take the compliment, baby,” he shot at her, stepping out of his niche and into the mouth of the corridor she'd just left.

“You honestly think you're complimenting me? And I'm not your baby.”

He rolled his eyes at her and then sneered. “Why are the hot ones are always mouthy bitches?”

Tam's blood, already boiling like lava, bubbled over instantly. “Excuse me?”

He opened his mouth, probably to call her a bitch again, but he let out a cry instead, as someone grabbed him by the arm and twisted it behind his back.

“Call her that again, I dare you,” a growling voice said as muscular arm locked around the guard's throat.

Tam started, her hand tightening on her closed fan, ready for a fight. She stopped when she recognized the man who had grabbed the guard.

“Fuck you!” the guard choked out, only to get taken down to the floor in an instant. He landed on his stomach with a bang, the qiang sliding out of his hands as Hung jacked his arm up and put his knee onto the guard's back.

“I've got this, Hung,” Tam said, stepping forward. Hung looked up, smirking a little.

“I know you do, but this little worm needs to learn some respect. Don't you, worm?” Hung said as the guard squirmed beneath him. “Apologize to the lady. Now. Before I break your arm.”

“Fuck you! And that bitch!” He choked off, crying out again as Hung cranked up the pressure on his arm. “I'll turn you both into Captain Lio!”

“Do it, I dare you. And I'll tell Lio how I heard you harassing one of Fire Lord Zuko's bodyguards,” Hung said. The guard stopped squirming, looking up at Tam in shock, his mouth gaping like a fish. All of the redness drained from his face.

“Oh, shit. You're one of _them?!_ I—I didn't realize you were one of the Fire Lord's bodyguards. I wouldn't have—if I'd known I wouldn't have—” he started, but she glared daggers at him. “Look, I don't want any trouble.”

“Too late for that,” Tam snorted.

“Apologize to the lady,” Hung repeated.

“Or what?”

“Or I shove my fan up your ass and _then_ open it,” Tam said, waving her fan at him. She saw Hung's lips twitch, as he looked down at the struggling guard beneath him.

“I'm sorry. For...for calling you a bitch.”

“And?”

“For harassing you,” he said quietly, his voice defeated. Hung looked up at her, brow arching in question. Tam rolled her eyes and then jerked her chin, telling him wordlessly to let the guardsman up. Hung let go of his arm and stood, backing up and then scooping up the fallen qiang. The guard hauled himself to his knees, wiping at his nose with his sleeve.

“You're going to face a reprimand, Guardsman Jusho,” Hung said with a growl of anger in his voice. “After what happened with Kamen, Captain Lio has made it clear that this kind of behavior will not be tolerated. You dishonored your position and the Fire Lord.”

“My apologies,” Jusho said again, bowing his head. “I didn't intend any offense.”

“Yes, you did,” Tam said.

“Report to your unit commander. I believe that's Lt. Zhazu? I'll be making a report about this incident,” Hung said, before pointing down the corridor. “Go.”

“I'm still on duty for the next hour,” Jusho said, but Hung made an unimpressed snort of amusement.

“I think the palace is safer without your worthless ass. Run along, little worm.”

Jusho's face went beet red again, but he was eyeing the fan in Tam's fingers. He started to walk away, his head down, but stopped, holding out his hand. “My qiang?”

“It's _my_ qiang now, worm,” Hung said in a hushed, sizzling voice, twirling it in his fingers and then banging the blunt end on the floor. Jusho jumped and took off down the corridor at a half-run, leaving the two of them standing there alone. Hung watched him go, the smirk fading off his lips.

Tam glanced at him, feeling heat in her face. “You didn't have to do that. I had it under control.”

“Eh, it was fun,” Hung said with a shrug. “Besides, _I_ just put him on the floor. _You_ were probably going to break his nose.”

“I was thinking of kicking him in the balls, actually,” Tam said with dignity. Hung smiled, his shoulders shaking as he let out a rumbling laugh.

“Maybe I should have let you. We don't have nearly enough sopranos in the Royal Army glee club,” Hung said, making her laugh. He searched her face for a moment. “I hope he didn't say anything too vile? All I caught was the b-word and something about...uh...” His gaze flicked down to her chest and then back to her face. She saw redness creeping up her neck.

Tam arched her brow again. “It was nothing I haven't heard before, unfortunately.”

Hung frowned. “Seriously? That's disgusting.”

“That's called being a woman in a male-dominated space,” Tam said bitterly, and then sighed. “I'm used to it.”

“You shouldn't have to be. I mean, just because you're drop-dead gorgeous doesn't mean you deserve to be harassed by every mouth-breather you pass,” Hung said, looking irritated.

Tam fought a smile, looking up into his hazel eyes, her head tilting a little. “You think I'm gorgeous?”

Hung rubbed the back of his neck. “Well, you know...only in a totally devastating, make a man's knees weak kind of way. And I mean that in the most respectful way possible. Please don't kick me in the balls.”

“I was thinking of breaking your nose, actually.”

He chuckled at that and then glanced at her. “Seriously, though. You're kind of stunning with the paint on but without it... Wow.”

Tam laughed, lifting her fingers to her lips. “Are you flirting with me, Guardsman Hung?”

Hung frowned, but his eyes glittered with amusement. “Absolutely not, _Tamarind_.”

“That's Tam to you,” she said, poking him in the chest with the end of her fan.

“So only Councilman Piandao can call you Tamarind?” he said teasingly, and she instantly remembered the erotic dream that had awoken her. She felt her face grow bright red instantly. “Oh, now that's a telling blush.”

“I'm not blushing!” she lied, as Hung laughed, something mischievous sparkling in his eyes.

“Oh, _Piandao..._ ” Hung said in a high voice, one hand across his eyes. “Gasp and swoon, you're so handsome... Call me _Tamarind._..” His voice was dripping in breathless seduction as he said her name. She fought a laugh and shoved at his broad chest instead.

“Shut up!”

“Take me, I'm yours!” Hung laughed, tossing his head as if shaking back his hair.

“You are so annoying!” Tam said, her own laugh bubbling out of her. She smacked his shoulder. “I don't have a crush on him!”

“Uh-huh,” Hung said knowingly, flinching as she whacked him with her closed fan. “ _Suuuure_.”

“Don't you have somewhere to be?” she said, one hand on her hip, huffing at him. “You do work here don't you?”

“I'm not on duty until after breakfast. What about you? You've got a Fire Lady to protect.”

“I do, but I was going to get in a workout first. I don't want to get rusty,” she said, and then eyed him. “Would you like to join me? I could use a sparring partner.”

“That sounds tempting, but I'd rather not get my ass handed to me before breakfast, which is exactly what would happen.”

“Oh? Is someone's masculinity feeling threatened?”

“It's not that. I've just seen you fight before. I'm good...but you're better than I am. Every single guard in this palace knows not to tangle with the Kyoshi Warriors. Jusho nearly shit his britches when he realized who you were. See how fast he apologized? It had nothing to do with me. He probably realized how close he'd come to getting his dick knocked in the dirt.”

“We're not that scary.”

“Yes, you are.”

Tam tilted her head, regarding him with a little knowing smile. “You don't seem intimidated by me.”

“I'll let you in on a little secret,” he said, leaning toward her and lowering his voice. “I'm not that bright.”

Tam nodded and then whispered loudly, “It's not a secret.”

Hung grinned at her and then twirled the qiang in his fingers again. He glanced down the hallway and then stopped the qiang, a frown dashing across his lips. “I have to report Jusho. Are you going to press charges?”

Tam thought a moment and then made a face. “No. A slap on the wrist from his commander is enough for me. And seeing the look on his face when you grabbed him, that was fun.”

“Fun for me too,” he said and started to walk backward away from her. “Try and keep yourself out of trouble, Tamarind.”

“That's Tam to you, and you know I won't,” she said, flashing another grin at him. Hung laughed, twirling the qiang as he walked.

“I know you won't, but for the good of us all, I beg you to try,” he called.

“Oh, I love it when men beg!”

The qiang stopped and then Hung nodded. “I'll have to remember that.”

“See that you do,” she said with her hand on her hip. She watched him dash off another grin at her, and then he turned, twirling the qiang as he walked away, whistling a little. Tam watched him for a long moment and then rolled her eyes. “Idiot.”

She let out a breath and turned, still feeling heat in her face. Hung had definitely been flirting with her, and she couldn't deny that she'd been flirting back. She couldn't help it. The way he'd taken Jusho down to the ground with barely any effort...and the way he'd smiled at her...

 _Okay, he's hot_ , she admitted as she walked, tapping her closed fan against her lips. _He's more than hot. Even with the beard._

She mused over Hung's smile and gentle teasing as she left the palace and headed down the garden path to the open-air dojo. It was already hot out, despite how early it still was, and there was fog shrouding the azaleas and orchid beds, wreathing around the shady peach trees dotting the gardens. The cobbled walks were steaming beneath her feet and the air felt humid and damp, moisture clinging to her skin like she'd stepped into a sauna.

She was sweating by the time she got to the dojo, her skin glistening, the air heavy on her tongue. She was glad for her light clothing—no matter what that jerk Jusho had to say about it—and groaned, thinking of how miserable she'd be later in the day when she had to put on her heavy uniform.

She was really going to have redesign the thing, or boil to death in the Fire Nation heat.

Lost in her thoughts, she didn't realize that the dojo was occupied until she walked through the gate and stopped, her eyes clapping onto a familiar form, moving slowly through an intricate kata, his back to her.

Sweat glistened on his swarthy skin, pouring down his muscular back in enticing little droplets. Tam's heart stopped in her throat, her mouth parting as she watched the sunlight catch on a series of shiny, pale slashes on Piandao's back and shoulders.

She'd never noticed the scars before, but they were unmistakable in the sunlight. Steam rose off of the cobblestones around him as he moved, as elegant and fluid as a flame dancing above a candle. She felt her chest grow tight, the dream rolling over her like a thunderstorm, as quick and hot and all-consuming as a wildfire.

When he turned to face her, moving into another form with ease, he looked up, meeting her gaze with a stunned expression of his own. He dropped out of the form and lowered the sword in his hands. His bare chest was heaving, and she watched as sweat rolled down his pecks and ran the gauntlet of his muscular abdomen. The black pants he was wearing rode low on his hips and she could see the defined v-shape of his obliques peaking out just above the gold sash at his waist.

“ _Fuck me_ ,” she mumbled with feeling and then blinked, lifting her eyes back to his. She swallowed, her mouth suddenly dry. “Hey.”

“Hello,” he said, taking a step toward her and then stopping. He lifted his chin as his bare feet dug into the steaming cobblestones. He was still breathing hard and his shoulders heaved up and down. He held the sword behind his back, the point toward the ground, at attention like a soldier.

She frowned, wondering why he was being so formal. Then it hit her; perhaps he didn't recognize her without her paint on.

“It's... It's me. Tamarind,” she said, biting her lip.

Piandao's eyes flicked over and then he nodded. “I know. Good morning.”

She lifted her hand, feeling a few loose strands of her hair tickling her neck, frizzing out in the humidity. The whole haphazard bun was starting to come down. She ignored her hair situation and stepped forward again. “I wasn't sure if you recognized me without my paint on.”

“I'd know you anywhere, Tamarind. Paint or no paint,” he said softly, meeting her eyes before tightening his shoulders and looking away. She smiled, slowly, glowing a little.

“Hung recognized me too.”

He looked back at her sharply. “He did?”

“Yeah, he and I just ran into each other in the corridor. He helped me with a little problem I was having,” she said, watching as the color rose in Piandao's cheeks. His gray eyes seemed bottomless and she found herself remembering the dream again, unable to think of anything else.

Shivers ran along her sweaty skin and she felt an ache between her legs, an echo of the orgasm that had awoken her from her dreams.

“Ahh, I see,” he said carefully, his jaw tightening a little. “Hung seems quite taken with you.”

“Does he? I hadn't noticed,” she said teasingly, twirling the stray hair around her fingers. Piandao's expression turned dark instantly. He seemed to be chewing on his tongue, looking anywhere but into her eyes. “I didn't mean to interrupt your workout.”

“I was nearly finished. If you'd like the dojo to yourself,” he said, starting, turning his back on her. She spied the scars again and stepped forward.

“Please stay,” she said quickly, feeling breathless. He turned to face her again and she saw the expression on his face, but couldn't begin to decipher what he was thinking. “I mean... I was thinking... Would you care to spar with me?”

Piandao glanced at the palace and then back at her. “I shouldn't.”

“Why not?” she said, flicking open her fan and blowing cooler air across her hot face. “I'm here, you're here... I promise I'll go easy on you, Councilman.”

He stopped at that and turned to her, his eyes flicking down her body, watching a bead of sweat as it rolled down her neck and between her breasts. He stepped closer.

“I asked you to call me Piandao.”

“I remember, Piandao,” she said, looking up at him through her lashes. “You know, Hung told me all of the guardsmen are afraid to fight us Kyoshi Warriors. He wouldn't spar with me. Are you afraid of me too?”

Piandao's eyes flicked across her body again and she felt heat spark in her belly at the expression on his face. He was close enough that she could smell his sweat and the scent of it was mouthwatering. She bit the inside of her lip and tried to push memories of the dream she'd had out of her thoughts, but they wouldn't leave, stuck to her mind like bees in honey.

“I'm not afraid to spar with you, Tamarind.”

“Then stay and play with me, Piandao,” she said walking past him. She leaned in toward his ear. “I may even let you win.”

He let out a soft noise, and she saw his eyes close, his shoulders tight as he turned, watching her with those stormy eyes of his as she walked to one of the benches lining the dojo ring. He closed his eyes for a moment and then opened them.

“Hand to hand.”

Tam grinned over her shoulder at him, putting her practice sword and the fan down onto the bench. “Sounds good to me,” she said as Piandao put his sword into one of the stands, and then walked to the center of the ring. He stood at attention, as she came over to him.

She lifted her arms over her head, stretching out her limbs. He watched her, breathing calmly.

“I've never sparred with a Kyoshi Warrior before. It's something I've always wanted to do.”

“I've always wanted to do you too,” she said and then blushed when his mouth twitched. “I mean, I've always wanted to go hand to hand with one of the great masters. I'm sure you have a lot to teach me.”

“Perhaps. You may teach me something as well.”

“Oh, I have no doubt about that, Piandao. I _know_ I could teach you a few things,” she said in a husky voice, unable to stop herself. She couldn't help it. He was standing much too close, smelling like sex and sweat and looking at her like he was barely keeping himself away from her. There was strain in his shoulders, and the look in his eyes made her feel like he was laying her bare before him.

It was the exact opposite way Jusho's wanting eyes had made her feel. That had been possessive and demeaning.

Piandao looked at her like she was something he wanted, but couldn't admit that he wanted it. He'd looked at her that way the first time she'd seen him, at the door of Zuko's office months ago, and she'd never forgotten it. He still looked at her that way.

“Are you ready, Tamarind?”

“Hold on,” she said, annoyed as another piece of her hair fell, clinging to her neck and back. “This humidity is killing my hair.”

She grabbed the tie keeping the whole thing bound up into the haphazard bun on her head, pulling it out, along with several strands of clinging hair. She winced, as the whole heavy mess fell in waves around her shoulders, and down her back to her waist. Her hand ran through the strands, trying to claw out the frizzy knots so that she could put it back up again.

She heard Piandao pull in a sharp breath and looked up at him through the thick curtain of her hair. Piandao swallowed, his throat bobbing, his dusky skin glowing all of a sudden. He didn't seem to be breathing, his eyes on her hair.

“Piandao?” she said, frowning. “What's wrong? Why are you looking at me like that?”

He seemed to catch himself and backed up a step, looking away from her. He dragged in a lungful of air and ran a hand down his beard. “I'm sorry, Tamarind. I—I have to go.”

“What? Why?” she said, starting.

“I have... I have a meeting. I forgot. I'm sorry. An—another time, perhaps,” he said, breathing like a marathon runner all of a sudden. He looked at her and then snapped his eyes closed, turning his back on her and walking away before she could so much as blink in confusion.

He grabbed his shirt and his sword with a swift movement that was nearly a jerk, leaving the dojo at a half-jog. He disappeared down the misty garden path, leaving her standing there with her hair clinging to her sweaty back.

Tam frowned and pushed her hair behind her ear.

“Spirits...does my hair look that bad?”


	4. Piandao

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Takes place before Chapter 41 of With Or Without You)

Cold water poured down Piandao's back, washing away the sweat and salt that clung to his hot skin. He could practically feel steam rising off his flesh as he put his hands on the slick tiles, head down as the water ran the gauntlet of his face and plastered his hair to his head and shoulders.

His eyes closed as his mouth opened, trying to breathe through the sweet shock of the cold water, unable to stop his rapid thoughts from flinging back to the dojo he'd run from less than twenty minutes ago.

 _I ran like a coward_ , he thought darkly, his shoulders tensing as a cold blast of water ran down his spine.

But what other choice did he have? The moment Tamarind had shown up in the dojo he'd known that he was in trouble. He was supposed to be avoiding her. He wasn't supposed to be thinking about her.

And yet he'd been doing nothing but that since his vow yesterday. He'd spent a restless night, tossing and turning, sweating in the heat and humidity, his body alive with a deep, low-down ache that wouldn't go away.

And his dreams...

His dreams were filled with her. She haunted his every thought, and the more he tried to push her out of those thoughts the more she clung there like she _belonged._ He'd awoken before dawn this morning, with his mouth dry and his skin clammy with sweat...and harder than he'd ever been in his life.

“ _Piandao...”_

Her breathless voice had been in his ear, a memory or a desire, he didn't know. Shivers had wracked him, with that deep ache pooling low in his guts, too tempting to resist. He'd been unable to stop the stroke of his callused hand or the thoughts that had run over him in a rush of heat and mad desire. He'd thought of the dreams, the little snatches of memory, as he brought himself over the edge into a powerful orgasm that had left him gasping.

It wasn't the orgasm that had shaken him though. It was the memory of his dreams, the fantasy he'd conjured while he'd touched himself, of Tamarind straddling his lap, smiling that bewitching smile as she kissed the tip of his nose and laughed. In the dream, he'd picked her up and carried her to his bed, where she belonged. Her clothing had vanished, as if by some magic, and he'd sank into her warm, supple body. She had been as soft as he'd been hard, with her arms around him, her slender legs wrapping around his waist and holding him there as she looked into his eyes, telling him what she wanted...what she needed...

“ _Piandao..._ _I want you inside of me..._ _”_

“Fuck,” he growled, smashing the curl of his fist against the tiles, water pooling in the corners of his lips. He was hard again, despite the cold water. Just thinking about the dream was enough to drive him mad.

But it wasn't the dream that had sent him running away from her this morning. After masturbating had proven not nearly enough to ease the mad energy beneath his skin, he'd gone to the dojo, hoping to wear off some of his pent up frustrations there. After all, a good hard training session had always worked to distract him in the past.

He'd known half-way through his workout that it was not going to work this time. She clung to his every thought, no matter how fast he moved, or how he pushed himself...

And then he'd turned around, and there she'd been, like something out of his dreams, looking at him with her eyes glinting like emeralds, sweat pouring down her skin. It was the first time he'd seen her without her uniform and paint on, and for a moment, he'd wondered if he were still dreaming.

Seeing her standing before him had been a physical blow. He'd felt it in his guts, like a sucker punch, and his eyes had devoured her willingly, drawn to her like a moth to a flame, burning willingly.

He knew he should have made his excuses right then. That the sensible thing was to walk away from her before he made an even bigger fool of himself than he had before, but he hadn't been able to say no to her when she'd suggested sparring with him. He hadn't _wanted_ to say no.

But then she'd taken her hair down.

He could still remember the way her thick dark hair had tumbled down around her shoulders, falling to her waist in tangles. The need he'd been keeping back tooth and nail came roaring over him, hard and fast, shaking his knees, and tightening his flesh painfully.

All he could imagine, in that moment, was closing the distance between them and sinking his hands into her hair. Pulling her against him and kissing her until they were both out of breath. Until she was his. Until the world tumbled down around them.

He'd nearly done it, too. There had been a moment, a mad, wild moment when his thundering blood had demanded he take what he wanted...consequences be damned...

_And then I ran away, because what else could I do?_

He was supposed to be avoiding Tamarind. For her own good, as well as his own. If he avoided her from here on out then all of this would just go away. It had to. He was attracted to her—more attracted to her than he'd ever been to another woman since Hotaru—that much was clear, but it didn't mean anything else.

And it certainly didn't mean she felt the same way, no matter what Hung said. Tamarind was a flirt. Hung had said so, and Piandao couldn't disagree. It probably meant nothing to her. She couldn't know what she was doing to him, and he couldn't entertain the idea that she was doing it on purpose. That she was serious about it.

Why would someone like Tamarind, young, vivacious, and beautiful, ever look twice at an old soldier like himself, after all? It didn't make any sense. He was not the kind of man someone like her would want.

And yet his body yearned for her, as much as his heart did. It was foolish. He knew that. It was wrong. It was a dream, but he hadn't dared to dream like this since he was a man fresh off of his first campaign, and heartsick at what he'd done in the name of the Fire Nation.

He had done things that still gave him nightmares, things he could never make up for. He had been told to be a good soldier, and he'd believed that that was all that he was until he couldn't take orders any longer until he'd been afraid of what those orders were doing to his own soul.

He had turned his back on his Nation, his people. And he'd thought that the woman he had given himself to in every way that counted, would understand. He'd been wrong, and he'd paid the price. He'd had his heart ripped from his chest. He had been convinced that it would never grow back, that love was a fairytale he'd told himself. A childish dream, and not meant for someone like him.

Hadn't that proven to be true? Hadn't Hotaru's words chased him all of his life, proving her right? Why should that change now, regardless of the ache in his heart? Why would Tamarind look at him as anything but what he was?

A man old enough to be her father. A soldier who couldn't take orders. A traitor. A fool.

A man who couldn't love.

His thoughts ran dark as he got ready for the day. He was just slipping his feet into his boots when someone knocked on the door. He didn't get many visitors to his suite, and the servants had already come and gone with breakfast.

He jammed his boot on and then answered the door. He was surprised to see Hung on the other side, looking grave, a qiang in his broad hands. He was holding a scroll in his other hand.

“Councilman Piandao, I...” Hung started and then handed the scroll to him. “I'm afraid I have some shocking news.”

“What's wrong?” he said, swinging the door wide and unrolling the scroll. He recognized the neat and steady hand of Fen, Zuko's secretary, instantly. His eyes scanned the short message several times before the shock of it sank in. When he looked up, Hung was as white as a sheet, worry in his hazel eyes. “Lady Lian...”

“Dead,” Hung said, shaking his head. “They found her about an hour and a half ago. I was in Lt. Zhazu's office when I heard. It's all over the palace by now. They're saying her entire household was killed.”

Fen's message had said as much, as well as calling for an emergency council meeting at noon. Piandao was not about to wait that long for more information. Now was the time to act. His suspicions about the dagger reared up again, and a sick, tight feeling curdled in his guts instantly.

Lady Lian and Suki had been butting heads for months. It was no secret that the two of them didn't like one another. Lady Lian was one of Guo's closest allies on the Council.

It seemed like no coincidence at all that someone would target Lian after Guo's attack.

“Where's the Seneschal?” Piandao said, charging out of the door and into the hallway. Hung fell into step with him immediately, the blade of his qiang pointed at the floor.

“I don't know. She's probably at the crime scene. I...sir, there's something that wasn't in Fen's letter. I heard it on my way to your suite...”

“What is it?” he asked, glancing at Hung, who stopped. Piandao turned on him, his arms clasped behind his back. “What did you hear?”

“You know how rumors are around here...” Hung started, looking pained.

“What did you hear?” he repeated, bracing himself for the worst.

“Lady Lian... She had a Kyoshi fan stuffed down her throat when they found her.”

Piandao's blood ran cold, and he swallowed, taking a step back. “Are you certain?”

“That's just what I heard from the guard who told Lt. Zhazu about Lady Lian. I don't know if its true or not. If it is...”

“If it is, then the Seneschal is in danger.”

But he wasn't thinking of Suki. A Kyoshi fan at the scene of a horrible murder wouldn't just land on the Seneschal's doorstep. Suki was in danger. But so was Tamarind.

Hung's thoughts seemed to run parallel to his because his brows drew down low. “This is bad.”

Piandao's fists tightened behind his back. “I have a feeling its much worse than we know.”

Hung followed him through the palace, and out the front doors, passing security checkpoints. Everyone looked tense as they marched to Lady Lian's impressive home. They were stopped again at the gates of the mansion by Caldera guards.

“I'm Councilman Piandao,” he said with impatience. “I need to speak to the Seneschal. Let me through.”

“The Seneschal is being questioned by Captain Viz and Captain Lio,” one of the guards said, glancing back at the house.

“And why is _she_ being questioned?”

“Because the Lady has a Kyoshi fan down her throat. Why else?” one of the guards said darkly. “Seems one of those painted up Earth Kingdom bitches put the hurt on Lady Lian.”

“What did you say?” Hung said, taking a step forward, his eyes flashing with anger. Piandao put a hand on his broad shoulder.

“Not surprised. Walking around like they own this place...” a guard muttered, ignoring Hung.

“The Fire Lord's personal bodyguards would never do something like this,” Hung said. “And neither would the Fire Lady.”

“She isn't the Fire Lady.”

“ _Yet,_ ” Hung said with an acidic sting in his voice.

“Stand down, Hung. You need to let me through,” Piandao said, stepping forward. The guards moved to stop him, but Hung stepped up, getting between Piandao and the guards.

“Or I could just move them myself,” Hung growled.

“We're not supposed to let anyone else enter the crime scene. Captain Viz's orders,” the guard on the left said. “We've got bodies everywhere. We don't need a million people traipsing through destroying any evidence.”

“How many bodies?” Piandao asked, glancing at the gilded, three-story, pagoda-style home, with its elegantly carved black pillars, and carefully tended front garden and lily pond.

“Thirteen. Four guards, six servants, the Lord and Lady, and their daughter,” the guard on the right said grimly.

“Who found the bodies?”

“A delivery man. He was bringing vegetables to the cook. Found the cook and the stableman in the back courtyard. The deliveryman alerted the nearest Caldera guard, who found the rest of the bodies in the house. That was nearly two hours ago.”

“I need to speak to the Captains and the Seneschal,” Piandao repeated, glancing at Hung, who was watching the guards with his fist tight on his qiang, anger still churning in his eyes.

“That's not our orders. We can send for them, Councilman, but I can't let you in,” the guard repeated.

Piandao took a breath, trying to gather his patience. He knew the men were just doing their jobs, but he didn't like leaving Suki without protection. He knew that she had guards with her, probably Captain Ty Lee and whatever palace guards were assigned to her protection unit, but since the attack on Guo he had begun to feel anxious about her safety.

He was also worried about her on a personal level. She was pregnant, and by Tamarind's own account not many people knew that fact yet. This was a lot to take on for a woman in her condition, even if he had faith in her strength. With Zuko gone and someone attempting clearly attempting to frame her, Piandao felt compelled to protect her in the Fire Lord's stead.

Someone was after her. That much was clear, and they were willing to murder thirteen people to do it. It made his stomach churn. The Seneschal was smart enough to see what he had as well; she'd know that someone had done this trying to frame her for it.

And judging by the comments from the Caldera guards before him, it was working.

Piandao glanced at the mansion and started to say something else, when someone came tearing around the corner, holding a fan and a practice sword, her hair flying. Piandao's heart gave a leap as Tamarind spotted him.

“Piandao! I just heard!” Tamarind said, skidding a halt. She was still wearing the clothing she'd been wearing in the dojo not an hour ago. Sweat poured off of her, both from her run from the palace, and the oppressive heat, which was making all of them suffer. Especially the guards, who looked miserable and damp in their armor.

The heat and humidity were probably the reason all of their tempers were short. Circumstances notwithstanding.

“What are you doing here, Tamarind?” Piandao asked, his eyes willingly tracing the contours of her pale face. The freckles on her nose stood out against her skin, inviting the eye. She met his gaze and he felt that hot swoop deep in his guts, remembering the dream as sweat ran down his back.

“Fen told me about Lian. He said Suki came to the crime scene. Where is she?”

“Inside,” Hung said. Tamarind glanced at him and then charged forward, trying to push past the guards. One of them grabbed her and shoved her back, making her stumble into Hung, who put an arm around her waist to keep her upright.

“Hey!”

“Don't put your hands on her!” Hung growled.

“I have this, Hung,” Tamarind said, pushing him away. She glared at the guards. “Who do you think you are?”

“Who do you think _you_ are, bitch? No one is allowed inside the crime scene! Captain's orders!” the guard who shoved her barked, his face going red.

“The fuck did you just call me?” Tamarind snarled, spitting mad like a cornered cat. Piandao felt his blood rise, watching the anger boil out of her. “You're the second man to call me a bitch today and I'm pretty fucking over it!”

“Tell your girlfriend to calm down,” one of the guards said to Hung. That proved the last straw to Tamarind, because she flipped open her fan with a smooth gesture, her eyes narrowing. The golden metal fan glinted in the punishing sunlight. Piandao's stomach dropped.

“Tamarind—” he started, as the guards both blanched, moving their spears and dropping their stances into one of attack.

“You're a Kyoshi Warrior?”

“You're damned right I am,” she said, anger flaring across her face. “What's your problem?”

“My problem is you're a suspect in the murder of Lady Lian and her entire household. Put down the fan,” the guard snapped, as Tam's face went bright red.

“A suspect? Why am I a suspect? Where's Suki?” Tam said, glancing at the house and then stepping forward. The guard started and jabbed at her. Piandao's heart lurched and he started forward, but Tam saw the jab and jumped back out of the way.

“STAY BACK!”

“Did you just attack me?” Tam said, incredulous.

“You came at me!”

“I did not, you moron!”

“She did not!” Hung growled.

“Captain Viz will want to speak to you. Maybe even arrest your ass!”

“He can talk to me after I kick your ass!” Tam said, starting forward, but Piandao caught her around the waist, hauling her backward. “Piandao! Let me go!”

Tamarind's hair was everywhere, clinging to his sweaty face and her back, as he picked her up and turned them both away from the guards at the gate. He carried her, squirming, a few feet away. Hung stepped in between them and the guards, glaring at the two men still standing ready for an attack.

“Don't give them an excuse, Tamarind,” Piandao said in her ear. “A Kyoshi fan was found down Lady Lian's throat.”

“Suki would never—” Tam started, turning to glance at him over her shoulder. He let her go and she turned around to face him, pushing her heavy hair out of her face as he did. She saw the serious light in his eyes and stopped; her mouth opening. “It's not just Suki... A Kyoshi fan. It's all of us. Someone's trying to frame all of the Warriors.”

“Not all the Warriors, Tamarind,” he said gravely, as Hung came over to stand before them.

Realization dawned on her face and she put her fingers over her lips, the shock in her eyes evident in an instant.

“The rest of the girls are in Ba Sing Se with Zuko. Me and Ty Lee. We're the only ones here. Spirits... We had nothing to do with this.”

“I know you didn't. But they're going to ask you where you were last night. Do you have an alibi?”

“I...” Tam started and then winced. “No. I had guard duty on Suki until midnight and then I went to my room. I went right to sleep after that.”

“Can you prove that?”

“I don't think so,” she said, biting her bottom lip. “Maybe a guard saw me go to my room? Other than that, no.”

“What about Captain Ty Lee? What about the Seneschal?”

“Ty Lee was on guard starting at midnight. Her shift ends at noon. We have the palace guards rotating their watch every six hours. Whoever was on duty should be able to corroborate that Ty Lee was there with them all night and that Suki was in her suite.”

“So only you are unaccounted for from midnight to six this morning?” Piandao said, with his stomach dropping. Fear lit up Tamarind's eyes.

“Shit,” she breathed. “This is bad, Piandao.”

His jaw clenched as he glanced back at Hung, who looked like he was thinking. Behind them, the guards were whispering to themselves, eyeing them with distrust in their eyes. “I won't let them pin this on you. This is clearly a setup.”

“Like the dagger,” Tamarind said, rubbing her forehead. “Who would do this?”

“I don't know. We'll find out. I promise. I won't let anyone hurt you,” he said, but he wasn't sure how. He had no idea who could be responsible. Clearly it was someone skilled, if they were able to take out Lady Lian's entire household, including the guards assigned to protect her.

“I begged you to stay out of trouble this morning, Tam,” Hung said heavily. Tamarind smiled a little, showing the dimples in her cheeks, as she glanced up at Hung, who looked at her warmly. Piandao's hand tightened at his side, feeling the blood rushing in his ears.

“Don't you know, Hung? Trouble follows me wherever I go. Unfortunately,” she said wryly, but her smile dropped away a moment later, as someone came out of the house and walked toward the front gate. Piandao saw that it was Captain Lio, who spotted him and gestured for the guards at the gate to stand down.

They did so with frowns on their faces, glaring as Piandao, Hung, and Tam walked past them.

“Captain. I came as soon as I heard. Is it as bad as I've heard?”

He knew by the grim expression in Lio's eyes that it was. The Captain's mouth was turned down, lines of strain around his eyes. “It was a massacre. Lady Lian is dead.”

“Is it true? Did they find one of our fans in her mouth?” Tamarind asked, making Lio look at her and frown. He spotted the fan in her fingers.

“You're the other Kyoshi Warrior guarding the Seneschal?” She nodded and he drew himself up. “I'll need to ask you some questions. The Seneschal and your Captain have given me alibis for where they were last night. Can you do the same?”

“You can't think she had anything to do with this, Captain Lio. The Kyoshi Warriors would never do something like this,” Piandao said.

Lio's expression of unhappiness deepened. “I believe in pursuing the facts, and the fact is that a Kyoshi fan was found with the body. Where were you last night? The Seneschal already told me your shift ended at midnight. Where did you go after that?”

Tamarind glanced at him, swallowing, her face draining. “I...”

Piandao tried to think of what to say. He didn't know what to do. If Tamarind didn't have a solid alibi, the consequences for all of them would be dire. He couldn't let them blame Tamarind for this.

He had to do something. Now.

But it was Hung who stepped forward, putting his arm around Tamarind's waist and pulling her against him tightly. Piandao started, but stopped, the blood draining out of his face as Hung spoke.

“Tam was in my room all night,” Hung said, bending and kissing her temple. “Weren't you, baby?”


	5. Tam

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (takes place immediately after chapter 4 / and runs concurrent with chapter 41 of With Or Without You)

“Uhh...” Tam started, her gaze flicking from Hung to Piandao to Captain Lio. And then straight back to Piandao, who looked like someone had punched him in the gut.

“Weren't you, baby?” Hung repeated, squeezing her shoulder and pulling her even deeper into the heavy warmth of his arm. Piandao glanced at Captain Lio and then met her eyes. He nodded slightly, and that broke her out of her stunned confusion.

“Yes, I was. I was with Hung all night,” Tam said quickly, glancing up at Hung and putting her hand on his chest. Then she put her head on his shoulder for good measure. “We were...uh... We were fucking.”

Hung made a sound, which she suspected was a stifled laugh, and grinned at Captain Lio.

“Yes, we were definitely doing that.”

Captain Lio's serious expression turned into one of embarrassment, his face going red in the heat. He cleared his throat and refused to meet either her or Hung's eyes.

“Well, that...uh... Did anyone see you go to Guardsman Hung's room last night?”

“I don't think so,” Tam said, shrugging. “It was really late. I was there all night.”

“You have a roommate, don't you?” Lio asked Hung.

“Lee was on guard duty all night, so we had the place to ourselves,” Hung said, rubbing Tam's shoulder.

“And he didn't come back while she was there?”

“Not that I know of. I hung a sock on the door just in case he got off early. That's what we do when—”

“Yes, I know. I had roommates once,” Lio said quickly, shifting back and forth uncomfortably. He sighed. “Anything else you'd like to tell me?”

“Uh, there was an incident with Guardsman Jusho this morning. He harassed Tam after she left my room. I was bringing back her um...uh... She forgot her...uh... Her...”

“Panties,” Tam said, the first word that popped into her head. She put her hand over her mouth, wanting to cringe into the earth. Hung rolled with it though, his hand wrapping around her waist and squeezing. His smile was bright.

“Panties! Yes. I was returning them. That's when I ran into Jusho and Tam in the hallway. I reported the incident to his unit commander Zhazu immediately. You can check with him.”

“I'll be sure to do that,” Lio said haltingly, looking like he wanted to listen literally anything else. Tam didn't blame him. “Well, that seems like a sufficient enough alibi. I'll have to take official statements from both of you.”

“Believe me, Captain Lio, I kept Tam way too busy last night to plot assassin attempts. Besides, the Warriors had nothing to do with it, and you know it.”

Lio glanced at Lady Lian's foreboding home behind them, his expression darkening. “We'll find the truth, and that's all I'm interested in. The assassination attempt on Guo and Lian's death must be related. Both Guo and Lian were respected members of the Fire Lord's Council.” Lio glanced at Piandao pointedly.

“You believe I'm in danger,” Piandao said, but it wasn't a question.

“Someone is clearly targeting the Council. For what end, I don't know, but I think it would be best if you returned to the palace, Councilman Piandao. The Seneschal has ordered me to double the guard on the Council, and I agree with her. That includes you.”

“I do not need more guards,” Piandao started, but Tam stepped forward, pushing Hung's arm off of her as she did.

“I know you don't need them, Piandao, but _please._ If someone's after the Council, then you _are_ in danger. You already have a guard detail. What's a few more guards shadowing you?” she said, trying not to let her fear show in her eyes.

But she was afraid. The moment she'd heard that Lady Lian and her entire household had been brutally murdered her first thought had been for Piandao.

First Guo and then Lian. It couldn't be a coincidence that two members of the council had been attacked. If they were targets then so was Piandao.

She'd run straight to Lady Lian's home the moment Fen had told her, intending on getting answers and finding Suki and Ty Lee, whom she knew had come to the crime scene. That hadn't been her first instinct, however. She had wanted to find Piandao. Even though she'd just seen him in the dojo the fear that something had happened to him had risen up in her in a choking, panicking wave for one terrifying moment.

But she'd known her duty was to find Suki, and the more she'd thought about it, the more worried she was for Suki's safety. She hadn't been thinking about herself. She hadn't been at all prepared to find out that a Kyoshi fan had been found at the crime scene, let alone that she might have the crime laid at her feet.

Piandao was right. Someone was trying to frame not just Suki, but the Kyoshi Warriors too. That much was clear. She just couldn't figure out why, however.

“Tamarind,” Piandao started, but then he saw the fear in her eyes and hesitated.

“Please? I need you to be safe.”

The frown on his face melted into a soft expression. “For you, Tamarind. Of course. You may double my guard, Captain Lio, until this situation has been resolved.”

“Thank you for your cooperation, Councilman,” Lio said. “There is nothing more that you need to do here, I'm afraid. We're still working on the crime scene. I'd rather you returned to the palace for your own safety now. I'll send several of my guardsmen with you. Hung, I'd like you to stay here so I can get your statement.”

“What about the Seneschal?” Piandao asked, gesturing to Lady Lian's home.

“Captain Viz is asking her a few questions at the moment, but she should be returning to the palace soon. She seems... I'm concerned. She may be ill."

"Ill?" Piandao asked, stepping forward, and glancing at the house.

"She threw up."

Tam and Piandao exchanged knowing looks.

"Ahh, I see. Well, then you shouldn't keep her. She should return to the palace at once so that she can rest. Perhaps she should see Nam-Kyu."

"I agree," Lio said. "She might not, however. She mentioned calling an emergency meeting of the Council this afternoon. She seems determined to clear her name.”

“Of course she does! She didn't do this! You don't think she did this, do you? You don't think any of the Kyoshi Warriors would have _anything_ to do with this?” Tam said, making Lio turn to her.

“I'm only interested in the facts, miss. My opinion and high regard for the Kyoshi Warriors and the Seneschal are irrelevant. We will find out what happened here, whatever the truth is,” Lio said firmly and then glanced between her and Hung. “Give me a moment, Councilman. I'll get my men to take you back to the palace.”

He gave a nod and walked back through the gate toward the front door, leaving the two guards at the gate to stare at them in distrust, though they were out of earshot. Tam let out a sigh, her unbound hair falling into her eyes. She blew it out of her face with a huff and glanced at Hung. She felt raw and uncertain, like she'd missed a step going downstairs.

She couldn't blame the person who had murdered Lian, so she struck out at the next best target.

Hung didn't expect the blow to his stomach. He let out a grunt of pain, doubling over a little, though she hadn't hit him that hard.

“What was that for?” he said, incredulous.

“For telling Lio I was in your room all night!” Tam hissed. “Now he thinks we're sleeping together!”

“You're welcome,” Hung said sourly, rubbing at his stomach. “What else was I supposed to do? You didn't have an alibi. You couldn't prove you were in _your_ room alone all night, so why not mine instead? Someone had to do something, or they were going to put you in cuffs.”

“And you decided to do _that?_ ”

“I panicked!” Hung said, but then he grinned. “It was the first thing on my mind.”

Tam crossed her arms over her chest. “I'll bet it was.”

“Yes, thank you for your quick thinking, Hung,” Piandao said, making Tam turn to face him again. He didn't look happy; the white streaks on his cheeks from his clenched jaw were standing out starkly on his face. He lifted his chin, regarding Hung with a look that made Tam's skin feel hot.

She didn't know what that look was about, but she couldn't help but think that Piandao wasn't happy with Hung, despite what he was saying. Not in the slightest.

“Uh...” Hung started, seeing the look on Piandao's face. His smile faded and he drew himself up, standing at attention with the blunt end of the qiang on the ground beside him. “I'm sorry, Councilman. I shouldn't have lied.”

“No,” Piandao said, shaking his head and wiping his hand down his face, as if he were trying to smooth out the expression on his face. He looked calmer when he dropped his hand. “I wouldn't normally encourage lying, but I think in this instance you did the right thing. Without a solid alibi, blame could too easily fall on Tamarind's shoulders. It's clear to me that someone is trying to frame either the Seneschal, or the Kyoshi Warriors.”

“If they frame one of us, then they frame all of us. Suki's still a Warrior, paint or no paint. We're sisters. We stick together,” Tam said, trying not to let her worry show. She knew they could see it, however.

“Perhaps your enemy knows that?” Piandao said. “And plans to use how close you are against you?”

“If they try, they won't like what we do to them,” Tam said, lips curling. “The code of the Kyoshi Warriors is to protect and defend at all costs, but we know how to attack too. If someone is messing with us they won't like the results.”

“We all know how scary the Warriors are,” Hung said, making Tam glare at him. He lifted his free hand, palm out. “Don't look at me like that. It's true! Every single guard in the palace knows not to cross you guys.”

“You make us sound like terrifying killers.”

“You're not. At least not like _that_ ,” Hung said, gesturing to Lian's house. “We just know what you guys can do. We've watched you guys training, Tam,” Hung said with a shake of his head. “The Kyoshi Warriors are the best guards in the world. We know what you're capable of. Everyone does. If someone is willing to cross the Warriors? That person is either the world's biggest idiot, or they have a damned army up their sleeve. That's all I'm saying.”

“Hung is right,” Piandao said grimly. “I doubt this person is an idiot, however.”

“Or persons,” she pointed out, making Piandao frown.

“Or persons,” he agreed. “Whomever is responsible for this is smart enough to know how to play things. Look at those two guards on the gate. They were ready to blame the Warriors already, and the crime wasn't even an hour old. Captain Lio is willing to listen to the facts, but there are many others in the court who will blame the Seneschal or the Warriors the moment they learn about the fan found with Lian's body. The rumor mill in this place will turn the court of public opinion against Suki and the Warriors if we don't get to the bottom of this quickly.”

Tam's stomach dropped. She knew how true Piandao's words were. The rumor mill in the palace was vicious. Ty Lee had suffered at the hands of the gossip-mongers in the court for months before Zuko had stepped in. Zuko and Suki had also been at the mercy of toxic rumors and gossip about their romance, long before they'd ever so much as kissed. There had been rumors about the Warriors too, and there were still many in the court who believed that Zuko had had his way with each of his bodyguards. There were countless rumors floating around that they were some kind of puffed up band of concubines who serviced the Fire Lord at all hours.

Tam had run into too many people who still believed that rumor, especially men. She had never been shy about her own sexuality and how free she was with it, but those rumors had made her much more circumspect over the last few years.

 _Well, okay...not_ that _circumspect_ , Tam chided herself a little ruefully. But certainly, she was more careful in her lovers than she'd been before those rumors had gone around. If not to protect herself, but to protect the reputation of the Kyoshi Warriors.

“But why would someone do that? Why go after us? And why kill Lady Lian to do it?”

“Lian was one of the Seneschal's most vocal opponents. It's no secret that the two of them did not like each other. Guo as well.”

“So we have the dagger, and now the fan. What's next?” Tam said, as Piandao glanced at the guards on the gate and then gestured for them to follow him. They walked a few yards down the cobbled street and stood beneath the shade of a large palm tree growing crookedly out of the front garden of another sprawling manse. The fronds overhung the street, drooping down to provide the meagerest of shelters from the blistering sun and humidity.

The relief from the punishing sun did little to calm Tam's heated blood, or stop the sweat from pouring down her back. She ignored the heat as best she could, her eyes on Piandao.

“I'd rather not find out what our enemies will try next,” Piandao said, leaning against the stone wall at his back. “If we cannot prove that Suki had nothing to do with these attacks, I'm afraid of the consequences that will befall her. And the rest of the Warriors, yourself and Captain Ty Lee especially.”

“Who would do this, though?” Tam repeated, glancing back at Lian's home. “Lady Lian was a loud-mouthed witch. I won't pretend I liked her, but she didn't deserve to be murdered for that.”

“No, she did not. It's not Lady Lian's murder that is bothering me, though,” Piandao said, rubbing at his goatee thoughtfully. “It's the rest of the murders. They killed her entire household. Lian's daughter was only fifteen.”

Tam felt pain in her chest at that. She had known Lian had a teenage daughter, but she hadn't realized that she had also been killed in the attack. It made her heartsick to think of it. So many innocent people, caught in the cross-hairs.

“That's not a political assassination. That's... That's a _massacre._ ”

“Exactly,” Hung said, frowning. “Why kill everyone in the house if you're just after Lady Lian? I could understand killing the guards protecting Lian, but why kill her servants? Her daughter? Her husband? What was the purpose?”

“Sending a message,” Tam said darkly. “They're willing to kill innocents. And they're capable of taking out an entire household, including trained guards. It's a warning. A show of strength.”

“Precisely,” Piandao said. “We don't even know if there were multiple killers.”

“I wish they'd let me into the crime scene,” Tam said, tapping her fan against her thigh impatiently. “I could probably figure out how many killers we're dealing with if I could look at the bodies.”

“You could?” Hung said, eyebrows shooting toward his hairline. “Just from looking at the bodies?”

“It's part of our training as Warriors. Suki can do it too. It's not precise, but there are usually clues, things we can look for,” Tam explained. “Suki's probably in there doing that right now, if they're not grilling her like a suspect. I might see something she missed though. Spirits, what if they arrest her?”

“They won't. A fan is not proof,” Piandao said, reaching out and touching her hand. She felt a tingle zap along her nerves and looked up into his eyes. “I promise, Tamarind, we will find out what is happening here. I will not allow them to arrest you for a crime I know you did not do.”

“How do you know I didn't? I don't have a real alibi.”

Piandao's eyes flicked to Hung, and his jaw tightened, his eyes narrowing a little. But when he looked back at her, his expression softened again.

“I know you wouldn't do this,” Piandao said firmly. “I know the Seneschal and your Captain wouldn't do this either. If nothing else, I hope you know that.”

“I do,” Tam said as she tightened her fingers around his. She felt her heart skip several beats.

“I won't let them harm you.”

“I believe you'd fight them all off by yourself if you had to.”

Piandao looked down at their hands. “Of course, I would. You do not need me to protect you, but I... Tamarind...”

He trailed off and she stepped closer, drawn to him instantly. He seemed to catch himself though, dropping her hand and drawing in a breath. “I would do anything to protect the Seneschal as well. It is my duty. Fire Lord Zuko would want me to.”

All of the air went out of Tam as Piandao's expression closed off. Those stormy gray eyes of his met hers and then he looked away, leaving her feeling as if he'd put up a wall between them, shoving her back a step. She frowned, tucking her hair behind her ear.

“Right...of course... Zuko would want you to protect Suki...” she mumbled, feeling off-balance all of a sudden, though she couldn't say why.

He looked like he wanted to say something else, but stopped when several of Captain Lio's men came out of the gate and spotted them standing in the shade.

“I should return to the palace now,” Piandao said, glancing at Hung, who was watching them with a frown on his face. “I don't like leaving you.”

“No, you should go,” Tam said bracingly. “We have to give our statement and I need to wait for Suki and Ty Lee.”

“Of course,” Piandao said and started to walk away. He stopped, however, turning to face her again. “Please, be careful, Tamarind. If anything should happen to you, I...”

“I'll be fine, Piandao. Thank you.”

“I'm with her, Councilman. I'll have her back.”

Piandao's eyes turned to Hung once more and the softness of his expression hardened again, his mouth turning down at the corners and his eyes narrowing. “See that you do. And try not to put her honor in jeopardy if you're forced to give an alibi about her whereabouts again.”

He looked like he wanted to say something else, but stopped himself, closing his eyes and bowing his head. He nodded at Hung and walked away. Lio's guards joined him, flanking him as they walked down the tree-lined street.

“You keep staring at him any harder you're going to burn holes in his back,” Hung said, leaning toward her ear. She whirled on him, glaring. “You know, I don't think he liked my alibi.”

“He's not the only one,” she said, feeling heat climbing her face. “Everyone's going to think we're sleeping together now.”

“ _You're_ the one who said we were fucking all night, Tam. I just said you spent the night in my room. We could have been playing pai sho and braiding each other's hair for all they needed to know.”

Tam's mouth opened and she stared at him for a long moment. “No one in their right mind would think we'd be playing _pai sho!_ ”

“Hey, I _like_ playing pai sho,” Hung said, with a teasing grin. “You'd have a great fucking time playing pai sho with me all night.”

“I'm sure it wouldn't take all night though.”

“You're right. The sexual tension would become unbearable after about an hour,” Hung said, nodding. “I doubt we'd finish a single game before you ravaged me.”

Tam fought a smile, leaning back against the stone wall, which was cool against her sweaty back. “Ravaged you?”

“Mauled. Destroyed. Whatever,” Hung said, planting the qiang beside her and leaning in, one hand on the wall beside her head. He was very close, and she could smell his sweat. She watched one fat droplet roll down his neck and felt her breath shorten a little. “The point is, you wouldn't be able to resist throwing yourself at me.”

“Because you're _so_ _ooo_ irresistible?” she said mockingly, eyebrow lifting.

“Clearly not as irresistible as Councilman Piandao, he of the serious frown and stick up his butt.”

“He doesn't have a stick up his butt.”

“He clearly does, if he can stand there in front of you stone-faced while you do everything but beg him to kiss you,” Hung said, his grin wide and knowing. She shifted uncomfortably, her lower lip sticking out. “Don't deny it. You're not slick, Tam. It's written all over your face whenever he's around.”

Her face went red again and she crossed her arms over her chest. “I don't... I don't _beg_.”

“I'm just saying, if you looked at me the way you look at him, I'm not sure I'd have the strength to walk away from you like he just did. He's either dead inside or a eunuch,” Hung said.

“He's not a eunuch!” Tam said, pushing at Hung's shoulder. “Take that back!”

“Fine. He's not a eunuch,” Hung laughed. “But he's also not the guy you spent last night ravaging.”

“Neither are you, remember?” she pointed out.

“But I could have been,” he said, tilting his head and looking her up and down, heat in his hazel eyes. She felt it scorching her and couldn't help remembering the way he'd taken Jusho down to the ground in the hallway earlier that morning. She felt a flush crawl up her neck and wondered if he could see it beneath the long curtain of her hair. “Speaking of which, we should get our story straight.”

“What do you mean?”

“They're going to take our statements. We should align our stories.”

“Oh...” Tam said, glancing at Lian's home again. She could still see the guards past the garden wall. There was a lot of activity going on, but one thing was sure: most of the men walking out of the house looked pale. No few of them looked like they were about to throw up.

Things had to be bad if they all looked that sick. Even Captain Lio had looked haunted, though he'd been holding it together well.

“So what is our story?” she said, turning back to Hung, who stepped back and spun the qiang in his fingers. “Besides we slept together last night?”

“You got off duty at midnight, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Then you came right to my room.”

“Okay. Was that our first time?” Tam said as she put her foot up against the wall and leaned back, arms crossed over her chest. “Or have we been sleeping together for a while?”

“We just met at Piandao's office the other day. Last night was our first time.”

“Oh, so you think I'm that fast, do you?” she shot at him, brow arching. “You've been listening to rumors.”

“I've heard a few, but I don't listen to that garbage. It's just that I'm such a handsome specimen of manly architecture that you couldn't resist climbing me like a tree,” Hung said easily. “ _Obviously_.”

“Obviously,” Tam said, rolling her eyes. “So it was our first time.”

“Yes. You came seven times. Not that they'll ask. I'm just proud of it.”

She fought a smile, trying to glare at him. She wasn't sure it worked, because he was looking at her with amusement dancing in his eyes.

“Oh, I did, did I? Seven times?”

“Possibly eight, but neither of us are sure. Orgasm number six might have just been five minutes long. You kept begging me not to stop.”

Tam burst out laughing, but quickly stifled the sound, glancing at the gate to Lian's house. “Don't make me laugh, you jerk. That's not right.”

Hung made a face, glancing at Lian's house too. “Sorry. I make jokes when things get serious. Helps me deal. And we do need to get our story straight.”

“I know,” she said, tucking her hair back behind her ear again. “And for the record it was _six_ times. The seventh time was a sneeze.”

“Bless you,” Hung said, his smile sizzling as he put the qiang against the wall and leaned in again. “Did you at least enjoy yourself?”

“In this totally hypothetical scenario?”

“Absolutely.”

Tam searched his face and then looked away. “Maybe.”

Hung touched her chin and she found herself looking at him again. He was close again, close enough to kiss, and she found herself wondering what that might be like. Annoyance rode through her as she thought about Piandao and the way he'd shut down on her. And the way he'd left her in the dojo earlier, so eager to get away from her he'd practically sprinted away.

And here Hung was, flirting openly and unashamedly with her...

“Admit it, you think I'm cute.”

“I'm not admitting anything. So stop flirting with me. And if you keep teasing me about Piandao then I'm going to turn _you_ into a eunuch. Got it?”

“Ouch,” Hung said, laughing. “You really have it bad for him, don't you?”

“Shut up.”

“Make me,” Hung said, sticking out his tongue. A laugh bubbled out of her and she rolled her eyes again.

“You really are annoying, do you know that?”

“I like annoying you,” Hung said, and she felt his hand on her bare waist. She didn't stop him, dropping her foot back off of the wall and letting him pull her forward. Her chin tilted.

“You like teasing me, you mean.”

“I'm not teasing you,” he said and then he leaned in. Her hand lifted, touching his broad chest. She felt a little dizzy all of a sudden.

_What am I even doing right now?_

But she knew full well.

“Just like you're not flirting with me either?”

“I'm definitely flirting with you, Tam,” Hung whispered, and then he kissed her.

She didn't try to stop him.


	6. Tam & Piandao

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (takes place during Chapter 43 of With Or Without You and before Chapter 44)

He was a good kisser, she had a give him that. Even the beard didn't bother her much, the small prickles sending little shivers goosebumping down her skin. Hung tilted his head, slanting his mouth over hers until she was breathless.

His broad hand spread on her lower back, pulling her against him. When his tongue flicked against her lips, she opened her mouth, just a little. He didn't waste a moment, deepening the kiss with a hard groan.

She lifted up into the heat of his mouth. Both of Hung's hands spread on her lower back and waist, and she nearly dropped the practice sword in her hand trying to catch herself against his chest. Sweat ran down her back and gathered on the back of her neck beneath her heavy curtain of hair.

She knew she should push him back, get a little air between them. It was inappropriate, kissing there in the street outside of a crime scene. What would people think? The part of her brain that was working at the moment screamed at her to stop.

And another part of her mind was wondering what it might be like to kiss someone else...someone with dark gray, wanting eyes...

Guilt shot through her and she pulled back, only to have Hung follow her, landing soft, nipping kisses to her mouth.

“Umm...” she breathed, turning her head, a little unsteady. She pushed the hand holding her closed fan against his chest, trying to get a little space between them.

“What's wrong?” Hung asked, frowning. Tam licked her stinging lips and looked up into his eyes. She could clearly see the desire there, and it scorched her down to her toes. The temptation to kiss him again was overwhelming, but she took a ragged breath.

“We shouldn't... Not here...”

“Why not? It helps our cover,” he said, with a soft smile.

“Is that why you kissed me?” she said, even though she knew it wasn't. Hung lifted her chin and nuzzled her nose with his own.

“I like you, Tam. _I'm_ not going to pretend I don't.”

 _Unlike certain people,_ she thought bitterly, but didn't say. The words seem to teeter on Hung's lips too, however, and he looked at her knowingly, brows rising.

“You like me too,” he said with confidence. Tam rolled her eyes, but she couldn't stop the little quirk of her lips.

“I don't kiss guys I don't like. But I don't know you very well. You don't know me either. I can be _very_ annoying.”

Hung's smile was wide. “That I'd believe.”

She smacked him in the chest with her closed fan. “Shut up!”

“So annoying,” Hung said, catching her fan with one hand and grabbing her around the waist with the other. He pulled her back against him. “If you want me to shut up I know a great way...”

“ _Hung_ ,” she said, intending on pushing him back again, but he kissed her before she could. Tam sunk into the warmth of him, her pulse pounding, desperately trying not to think of... _certain people_...

Hung groaned again and she found her back pressed against the stone wall, her tongue in his mouth, unable to stop herself. She didn't even know if she wanted to or not.

“Tam?!”

Tam squeaked, breaking the kiss and shoving Hung away from her instantly. He stumbled and then whipped around to face the four people standing in the street. He stopped, drawing himself up and at attention immediately.

“Uh. Seneschal, Captain Ty Lee,” Hung said stiffly, nodding at the two of them, and then the two guardswomen standing a few feet away, still guarding Suki

Tam's hand lifted to her mouth as she stared past Hung with wide eyes, catching Suki's bewildered gaze.

“Hey,” Tam said from behind her fingers.

“Did we interrupt something?” Ty Lee asked, and Tam's eyes flicked to her. Ty Lee was looking at her with a knowing expression on her pretty face, one hand hitched on her hip. Despite how hot it was, and the fact that she was wearing her full Kyoshi uniform, Ty Lee looked entirely unfazed by the heat. Not a hair was out of place, and her paint was perfect.

Feeling hot, sweaty, and _caught,_ Tam resented both her appearance and that knowing look on her Captain's face instantly. She frowned, pushing away from the stone wall at her back. “No, you didn't.”

Hung turned on her then, looking at her with one brow raised. She ignored him.

“Nevermind that,” Tam said bracingly. “What's going on? I raced right over the second I heard, but they wouldn't let me in. They said they were questioning you and I had to have an alibi for last night!”

Suki's eyes flicked to Hung and then back to Tam. She looked miserable, her skin pale and clammy-looking. Her forehead glistening with sweat as she crossed her arms over her chest and glanced back at Lian's home. She looked as unkempt as Ty Lee looked unbothered, and Tam, feeling entirely rumpled, appreciated that. At least until she saw just how pale Suki was.

“One of our fans was on the body. _In._ In the body,” Suki said, and her skin grew a little grayer. Ty Lee noticed too, and reached out, touching her shoulder. “I'm okay.”

“No, you're not,” Ty Lee said softly. “We should get you out of this heat.”

Suki ignored her, as Tam stepped past Hung, still standing at attention before them.

“Did you examine the crime scene?”

“We did,” Ty Lee said, frowning. “There's no way one person did all of this. It was at least two people. One of them, he was fast and efficient. The other one...”

“He was a butcher,” Suki said tightly. “He enjoyed what he did.”

“Or she,” Hung said, and Suki looked up at him, her eyes narrowing.

“And you are?”

“This is Guardsman Hung,” Tam said, jerking her thumb at him before he could reply. “He's assigned to Piandao's guard detail. He, uh...helped me out with my alibi.”

“Do I even want to know?” Suki said witheringly, and then really looked at Hung. “Wait, you look familiar. You were at Kamen's disciplinary hearing, weren't you?”

Hung smiled tightly. “Yes. I stopped him from spitting on you.”

“I remember now. Thank you for that.”

“It was my privilege, ma'am.”

Suki snorted wearily. “Now I know I look like crap. I just got ma'amed.”

Hung's lips twitched, but his smile faded a moment later when Captain Lio approached them. He looked harried, trailed by a guard with a scroll in his hands.

“Seneschal, we didn't get a chance to speak before you left,” he said by way of greeting, ignoring all of them, eyes on Suki. “I was told you examined the crime scene after they took your statements?”

Ty Lee spoke up. “Captain Viz was there. He wrote everything down.”

Lio's lips thinned out, his expression grim. “I don't know how receptive he'll be to your conclusions, given the circumstances. We'll be doing our own investigation.”

Suki looked as annoyed as Tam felt, but she rubbed at her forehead for a moment “That's...completely understandable. Given the circumstances. We'll cooperate however you need it. We have nothing to hide, Captain Lio. None of the Warriors had anything to do with this, and mine and Ty Lee's alibis can be corroborated by the other guards on my detail.”

“And Tam was with me all night,” Hung said, making both Suki and Ty Lee whip around to face them.

“Beg pardon? She was?” Ty Lee said, brows rising. “When did this happen?”

“It's new,” Tam said quickly. “I haven't had a chance to tell you yet.”

“Tell them about the seven times,” Hung said, elbowing her.

Tam glared at Hung, unamused. “Can we talk about my love life later, please? What's important is I was accounted for last night, too. There are only three Kyoshi Warriors here right now, and none of us did it, so whoever did this must have gotten ahold of one of our fans somehow and planted it on the body.”

Lio stopped at that, and looked between her, Suki and Ty Lee. “Do you keep an inventory of your weapons?”

“Not as such,” Ty Lee said, shaking her head. “Each Warrior is responsible for her own weapons and gear, but we keep a full chest of extras in my office,” Ty Lee said. “I have a list available of what we keep on hand, but the Warriors guarding Zuko took their own gear with them, and we don't keep track of individual kits.”

“So this fan could have been stolen from any of the Warriors?”

“Possibly,” Ty Lee said. “Our suites are fully accessible by the servants when they clean. It would be easy for someone to take an extra fan from one of the girls while they're away.”

Tam looked at Suki, and saw her face pale even further. “Suki?”

“Or from me,” Suki whispered. “Damn...”

“What's wrong?” Ty Lee asked, turning to Suki, touching her arm again.

“My office. I keep one of my old fans on the wall in my office,” Suki said tightly. “And my office looked like it had been broken into this morning. We were checking the place out when we heard about Lady Lian.”

Captain Lio frowned. “Was the fan missing?”

“I don't know,” Suki said, hesitating. “I didn't notice. I was more worried about my paperwork. It might still be there on the wall.”

“I didn't notice if it was there or not either. I was watching you,” Ty Lee said.

“Were there others with you when you discovered your office had been broken into?”

“Our guards,” Ty Lee said, gesturing to the two women standing behind Lio, who immediately went over to talk to them, his assistant writing down what they said. Tam looked at Suki, who was deep in thought as she watched Lio.

“Someone's trying to frame us, aren't they?” she said, while Suki rubbed at her neck, looking exhausted.

“And they killed Lady Lian and her entire family and household to do it,” Suki said. “We have to find out who did this. I know it's connected to the attack on Guo. I just don't know how.”

“We'll find out,” Ty Lee said with more confidence than Tam felt at the moment.

Judging by the look on Suki's face, she felt the same way.

It didn't take long for Lio to get the guard's statements, and he came back to stand in front of them, a grim look on his face. He took both her and Hung's statements, while Suki and Ty Lee listened.

She noticed the way Ty Lee was looking at her, brow arched in question. She ignored her.

She knew exactly what was going through Ty Lee's head. The woman was an open book most of the time. Tam had no plans on keeping the two of them in the dark about her and Hung's ruse to give her an alibi, but she couldn't exactly spill the truth in front of Lio or Suki's guards. She'd tell them eventually. Ty Lee, she could tell, already suspected that it was a lie, but not one she was going to challenge in front of Lio either. Tam was grateful for that.

Hung finished giving his statement, and then grabbed his qiang off of the wall where he'd leaned it.

“If that will be all, I need to return to the palace. I'm supposed to be on duty guarding Piandao right now. I'm worried about his safety.”

“That will be all. We may ask more questions later,” Lio said.

“Of course,” Hung said, and then bowed to him. He turned to Suki and reached out, taking her hand. He bent over her fingers and kissed the backs of them, while Suki's eyebrows climbed her forehead. When Hung righted, he looked her in the face, his expression dark. “I don't believe you or the Warriors had anything to do with this crime, Seneschal. I'll testify to that to anyone who asks. If you need anything, please don't hesitate to ask. I'm at your service.”

A little more color came back to Suki's pale cheeks. “Thank you, Guardsman Hung. I'll keep that in mind, but it seems like you're already at Tam's service.”

Tam's lips twisted as Hung's eyes flicked back to her. His smile was slow and easy.

“That I am, if she wants it,” he said pointedly.

“That remains to be seen,” she said, hand on her hip. “But I think what you've already done for me was a good start.”

"Seven times," he said with a sizzling grin. She fought a smile as he twirled the qiang in his fingers. "You know where I'll be, then. Ladies, Captain."

Tam watched him turn on his heel and walk off down the street. She didn't mind watching him go; his uniform fit him in all the right places, after all. She felt heat spread from her head to her toes, and only realized she was staring when she heard someone saying her name.

“Huh? What was that?”

It was Captain Lio, who repeated himself when he saw the look on her face. “Your statement is sufficient too. If we need to ask you more questions I hope you'll cooperate.”

“Of course,” she said, nodding. “Anything to prove we had nothing to do with this.”

“And I'll need that inventory list from you, Captain. We need to investigate the break in of your office as well, Seneschal. We need to find out if that fan we found with the body belongs to you. I'll send one of my men to escort you to the palace to search your office. There's still work to be done here.”

“I'd like to get to the bottom of this too,” Suki said, wiping at her brow. 

Lio hesitated and then looked back at the house. “I know this is out of line, but are you well, Seneschal?”

“I'm fine,” Suki said firmly. “Just... It's just a shock. Seeing Lian like that. And the heat is getting to me, I think.”

“You should return to the palace at once then,” Lio said. “We've got everything covered here.”

“I have a meeting to call anyway. Thank you, Captain,” Suki said, but she looked like she wanted nothing more than to curl up into a ball. Tam saw the look of concern on Ty Lee's face, and knew exactly how she felt. She had never seen Suki look so defeated before, or ill. She knew it was probably just the morning sickness affecting her, but the shock of finding a fan shoved down Lady Lian's throat probably wasn't helping.

Lio nodded at them and then went back to the house. Wordlessly, the three of them started down the street, with the two guards shadowing them. Tam tapped her fan against her leg.

“This is a mess,” she said.

“Tell me about it,” Suki intoned. “I have no idea what I'm going to say to the Council. I have to tell them about the dagger. If I don't that just makes it look even more suspicious, but if I tell them they're going to be suspicious anyway. I wish Zuko were here.”

“He should be home tomorrow,” Ty Lee said, rubbing Suki's back. “Just one more night. Zuko won't let them blame it on you.”

“He's only been gone a week and two of his Council members have been attacked, all under my watch. Even Zuko might think that's suspicious,” Suki said with a frown. “ _I_ think it's suspicious and I _know_ we had nothing to do with it.”

“Well, I know _you and I_ didn't, Suki,” Ty Lee said, dropping her voice, and glancing sidelong at Tam. “But something tells me Tam has something to tell us about last night.”

Tam glanced back at the guardswomen, but they were far enough away not to hear her. She dropped her voice as Suki and Ty Lee leaned in, explaining what had happened, and how Hung had given her an alibi.

When she was done, Suki looked pained.

“What if someone finds out you lied, Tam?”

“They won't.”

“And you trust this Hung guy? Who is he anyway?” Ty Lee asked. “You had your mouth all over him! I thought you had a thing for Piandao?”

“I don't have a thing for Piandao!” Tam lied, her face going red. Suki and Ty Lee glanced at each other, brows rising again. “Don't give each other that look! I...I don't! If I did, would I be making out with Hung? Huh?”

Suki nodded. “Absolutely.”

“Totally,” Ty Lee said.

Tam's mouth flew open. “What does that mean?”

“Chennai. Jai. Roju. Kizon,” Suki said, ticking off names. “You made out with all of them while swearing you were in love with Thao.”

“I was fifteen!” Tam exclaimed.

“Thanh and that guy from the bar last year, when you were hung up on that Li-Wu guy,” Ty Lee said.

Tam rolled her eyes. “Li-Wu was a jerk. I'm over him. Besides, we were on a break when I did that!”

“The point is, you have a history, Tam,” Suki said, rubbing at her stomach as she walked. “The more you like a guy, the more you try and sabotage it.”

“I don't do that!” she hissed, going purple in the face. She saw another look being exchanged between Suki and Ty Lee and her hands tightened around the practice sword and her fan. “Even if I did that in the past, me kissing Hung had nothing to do whatsoever with Piandao. Piandao doesn't even like me like that.”

“Well, yeah, he's old enough to be your father,” Ty Lee said. "But you clearly have a thing for him. We all know you like older men, Tam."

Tam glared at Ty Lee. “My love life is not the point right now. We have other concerns.”

Suki saw the look of rage in her eyes and reached out, taking her hand. “I know. We're just taking our nerves out on you. If you say Hung has your back, then we can trust him, okay?”

“We can,” she said, nodding. “Piandao knows my alibi was a lie, too.”

Suki sighed. “I trust Piandao, if nothing else. Spirits, I wish Zuko were home already. I have this bad feeling in my gut."

"I think that's the morning sickness," Tam said, but Suki shook her head.

"It's something else. There's something wrong, but I don't know what it is yet. I can just feel it. I just want him home already. Things are a mess, but at least I'll know he's safe. I just want him to come home.”

Tam couldn't agree more.

* * *

Piandao paced the floor of his office, hands clasped behind his back, and worry creasing his brow. His footsteps were light, but every step felt like he was dragging heavy weights behind him. It wasn't quite eleven yet. He had an hour before the council meeting. He'd tried to do paperwork, but he couldn't concentrate. He'd already sent out missives to the other members of the Council telling them about the meeting at noon. He hadn't bothered to explain what had happened to Lady Lian.

He knew those rumors had already gotten around the palace like wildfire, and it was likely already spreading through the Caldera. The palace and the Caldera were both still on lockdown per Suki's orders. The massacre at Lian's home would only cause the tension in both places to rise. And in this heat they were likely to explode. 

There was going to be trouble. He could feel it in his gut, a rising tension. Like he was standing on the edge of a battlefield, facing an entire army with only a shield in his hand. And the shield was made of paper mache.

The anxiety made him pace his office, back and forth, back and forth, letting his mind roll over what he'd found out. It wasn't much.

Someone was framing Suki, and possibly the Warriors, for both Guo's attack and the massacre at Lady Lian's. Whoever was responsible had to be someone either in the Caldera or the palace. The killers themselves had to still be there.

That meant the killer or killers had to be close by.

Had these killers been working with the assassin who had tried to kill Guo? It seemed too likely to be a coincidence. The dagger, the fan. None of it was a coincidence.

Piandao paced the floor, his jaw ticking.

The assassin had taken a poison pill. There would be no interrogating her, but he doubted they would have gotten answers out of her anyway. What was important was catching the person responsible for the crime, and getting ahead of the narrative, before the fingers pointed at Suki and the Warriors and nowhere else.

 _I can't let them blame Suki for this. Or Tamarind_ , Piandao thought and then winced. He'd been doing so well, not thinking about her, but there she was again, floating to the surface of his thoughts, beckoning him to follow like a siren.

Piandao stopped pacing and stood in front of his window. He stared down at the turtle-duck pond, the light shimmering off of the surface, watching the ripples of the water as the turtle-ducks swam in lazy circles, catching fish and ducking themselves beneath the surface to cool off in the heat.

His head rested against the glass for a moment, as he thought about the way Tamarind's hair had tumbled against her shoulders...the way she'd looked at him, touched his hand...

The way Hung had put his arm around her...and told Lio that they'd slept together...

And unbidden, a mental image came to him, of Hung and Tamarind, locked in a carnal embrace. It was a lurid thought, and it made pain lash across his heart. He squeezed his eyes shut, his fist clenching for a moment.

He'd wanted nothing more than to grab Hung's arm and rip it off of his body in the street outside of Lian's home. Just watching him touching her, telling Lio that they'd slept together last night...

It didn't matter that he knew that it was a lie. It was a _believable_ lie, and that was what had made pain stab right into his guts. Hung had saved Tamarind, stepping in when he'd been still struggling to think of a way to intervene on her behalf. He's saved her. Lio had believed that Tamarind and Hung were sleeping together instantly. Why wouldn't he? Hung was Tamarind's age. Handsome, young, strong... The kind of man Tamarind should be with.

If he'd told Lio the same lie, it would have fallen apart in an instant. Lio would never have believed that he and Tamarind had slept together. Why would he? It was ludicrous. Tamarind probably would have laughed had he suggested it.

But she hadn't laughed when Hung had said it. She'd smiled at him.

“Dammit,” Piandao growled, fist banging on the window with a soft thud. He felt the vibration through his forehead, but it wasn't enough to shake the jealous thoughts out of his head.

And he _was_ jealous. He knew it. How could he deny it? It filled him with green poison the color of Tamarind's bewitching eyes, burning and seeping into every inch of his body until it ached in ways he hadn't known it could ache anymore.

It was wrong. He had no right.

And yet...

He couldn't think about her. He'd made a promise to himself that he would stop, for both of their sakes. No matter how he felt, no matter how much just seeing her again, standing there outside Lian's, had affected him. The cold shower he'd taken had meant nothing in the end.

 _It's just lust,_ he told himself. _Simple, base needs. It's been a long time since a woman has made me feel like this, but that's all it is. I don't know her, after all. And even if I did, she wouldn't look twice at me. She deserves to be with someone like Hung. Someone her own age. She's a flirt. Hung was right about that. She doesn't even realize she's doing it. She's just being kind to me, and I'm... I'm a fool who wants to read into it. That's all._

He'd made these arguments a thousand before, bargaining with himself whenever his thoughts turned to her, but the thoughts just kept returning. And now, the jealousy.

He just needed to keep himself busy, that was all. And as far away from Tamarind as he could.

A knock sounded on his door, and he pushed away from the window immediately.

“Enter,” he said, smoothing his hair back and trying to look presentable. He didn't know why, but he thought he must look as unhinged as he felt. The door swung open a moment later, and Hung walked in.

Piandao's fists clenched and he swayed on his feet, lured in by the momentary fantasy of launching himself across the room and punching the guardsman across the face. It was a satisfying fantasy, but he held back, taking a sharp breath.

“Councilman,” Hung said, bowing to him. “I just got back from the crime scene. I gave my statement. I think Tam's in the clear for the moment. The Seneschal too. I left Tam with her.”

“Thank you, Hung,” he said, and then hesitated. “And thank you for your quick thinking.”

Hung's lips quirked up at the corners. “It was my pleasure. Tam was certainly grateful after you left.”

Piandao's blood ran cold instantly, as he looked at the misty expression on Hung's face, the smile on his mouth.

“What do you mean?” he asked, but his mind was already conjuring up images. Images of Tamarind and Hung, wrapping in an embrace. Tamarind.

 _His_ Tamarind...

Hung opened his mouth to reply, but there was another sharp knock, making Piandao's gaze snap to the door. He cleared his throat. “Enter.”

The door opened and a scrawny young man in a messenger's uniform entered the room. “Good morning, Councilman Piandao. This just came bearing the seal of the Earth King.” He held out a scroll sealed with green wax.

“This should have been delivered to the Seneschal. Why are you bringing it to me?” he asked, taking the messenger hawk scroll from him. The seal hadn't been broken yet.

“I couldn't find her. I was told she was at Lady Lian's, and I can't leave the grounds because of the lockdown. I tried to deliver it to the Fire Lord's secretary instead, but I couldn't track him down either. You're the only Council member in the palace right now, sir, and that's the protocol for official messages,” the messenger said, shifting from foot to foot.

Piandao sighed. “Of course. Thank you. That will be all.”

The messenger bowed out of the room while Piandao broke the seal on the scroll and unrolled it, with Hung watching him, frowning.

Piandao frowned, confused. He recognized the handwriting in the letter instantly. He still exchanged correspondence with his old friend General Iroh, after all, but he had no idea why a letter from Iroh would have the Earth King's seal on it.

Then he read it, his eyes widening and his stomach dropping to his toes. He let out a shaky breath, as Hung saw the look on his face.

“What's wrong?” Hung asked, looking alarmed as Piandao swallowed, fear rising up in him like a cresting wave.

“The Fire Lord has been kidnapped.”


	7. Piandao

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This takes place immediately AFTER Chapter 44 of With Or Without You, so don't feel like you're lost if you have no idea why this chapter starts the way it does. Go read that chapter and then come back and it will make perfect sense. Promise!
> 
> I've noted that this story is very intertwined with that one, right? Because they're basically inseparable.

“You don't understand! She's...she's pregnant!”

Captain Ty Lee's sobbing words immediately pulled a hush over the Council. Piandao flinched and heard Madame Biyu gasp, as Suki, on her knees where she'd fallen after Bai had punched her in the gut, drew in a ragged breath. She was clutching her stomach, her head on Ty Lee's shoulder.

It was Fen, Zuko's normally fussy and snarky-mouthed secretary who moved first, breaking the stunned silence as he wheeled on Bai. His hand lashed out. The slap across Bai's face was loud and echoing. Bai stumbled back, clutching at his face, his mouth open in shock.

“How DARE you?” Fen started, advancing on him, bristling with rage.

“Fen...” Suki wheezed, but Fen's face was bright red, his teeth bared.

“I'll make sure Zuko has your head for putting your hand on the Fire Lady _and_ the heir!” Fen declared. Bai's shock fell away and he snarled at Fen.

“That whore is not the Fire Lady yet, and she never will be! Not after this!”

“You son of a bitch!” Fen said, pushing back his sleeve, looking like he was about to punch Bai's lights out. Bai saw the rage on Fen's face and dropped his hand, showing a hand-print already turning bright red on his sagging jowl. He bared his teeth, looking like he was about to go for Fen too. Piandao caught Fen's arm, stopping him, while Ru grabbed Bai by the arm and threw him against the wall. Bai tried to fight back, but Ru punched the wall beside his head with a flaming fist.

“Don't stop me, Master Piandao. He put his hands the Fire Lady!” Fen said, turning on him.

“Not now, Fen,” Piandao said. “Suki's going to need you, and you can't do that if Bai puts you in irons,” Piandao said in an undertone. Fen's angry expression melted and he glanced down at Suki, still held in Ty Lee's arms. The fight went out of him instantly. He crouched beside Suki and murmured something to her that Piandao didn't hear.

His attention was on Ru and Bai.

“Move and I'll light your cowardly ass on fire!” Ru snarled. Judging that Ru had it under control, Piandao crouched down on Suki's other side, touching her back with a gentle hand.

“Suki, are you alright?” he asked softly, as she looked up at him with tears in her eyes.

“I don't... I don't know,” she said, the fear in her voice shot straight through Piandao's heart.

“Why didn't you tell me?” Fen asked, smoothing Suki's hair back.

“Zuko doesn't know yet,” she said and then dropped her head. “He doesn't know yet and now he's... Spirits...”

Piandao's heart ached at the brokenness in Suki's voice.

The others were watching. No one was making a move to grab Suki again. The soldiers were waiting for orders, but everyone seemed too in shock by Ty Lee's exclamation.

“You need to see Nam-Kyu in the healing ward,” he said to her.

“She needs to be in the dungeons,” the Grand Sage said, his voice biting through the shocked hush. “She's a dangerous killer.”

“She's the future Fire Lady and she's pregnant and injured,” Piandao said hotly, coming to his feet and turning on the Grand Sage.

“Pregnant with whose child?” the Grand Sage said witheringly. “And she won't be the Fire Lady. Not after this. For all, we know Fire Lord Zuko is dead!” The Grand Sage threw the letter General Iroh had sent onto the table with a disgusted flourish of his hands.

That proved too much for Suki. She let out a sob and Ty Lee's arms went around her again. Fen glared at the Grand Sage like he was about to slap him too.

“He's not dead yet, not as far as I'm concerned,” Piandao said, his voice hard. “And you will treat the Seneschal with the respect she's due.”

“Hard words from a known traitor to this Nation,” the Grand Sage said, smirking at him. It was a slap to Piandao's face as devastating as the slap Fen had given Bai, hard and stinging. It brought back memories, memories he didn't want to relive. He felt a phantom pain in his back, the old scars aching.

“I'm not the one trying to usurp the Fire Lord, Grand Sage,” Piandao said. He looked around the room, meeting all of their gazes. “Zuko would be ashamed of all of you.”

“Zuko isn't here. And the fault lies squarely with that Earth Kingdom whore,” Bai said. Ru's fist hammered the wall again, leaving a black scorch mark on the hand-painted silk wallpaper.

“I didn't give you permission to speak,” Ru snarled, as Piandao turned back to Suki. He held out a hand, helping her up off of the floor. She was clutching her middle, tears glazing her face. Piandao pulled out a handkerchief, and gently dabbed at her face.

“It's going to be alright,” he said, though he'd never felt so useless before in his life. Piandao turned to Fen. “Take her to the healing ward.”

“I want her arrested!” the Grand Sage said, stepping forward.

“I don't care what you want. You have no power in this palace, and certainly not on this Council.” Piandao snarled, losing his patience.

“All I need are a few votes, Councilman, and that will change.”

“But you don't have them yet. Captain Lio, you will escort Fen and the Seneschal to the healing ward. Now. If you harm her in any way, you will call down my wrath. And that's nothing compared to what will happen when Zuko returns home,” Piandao said.

Lio met his eyes and nodded. Piandao liked Lio; he was fair-minded and what was more, he liked Suki. Lio had gasped when Bai had punched her in the stomach, and his hand had strayed to his sword instantly as if he'd like to run Bai through.

Viz stepped up, producing a pair of handcuffs. Lio waved him off.

Fen stepped between Suki and Viz. “Try it,” Fen said.

“That won't be necessary,” Lio said with a bite in his voice.

“That one can't be trusted,” Viz said, nodding at Ty Lee, who glared right back. Lio looked like he was going to argue, but Viz moved before he could. Ty Lee looked like she was going to fight them again; she'd already chi-blocked several of the guards in the brief skirmish, most of whom were still nursing numb arms and legs, glaring at her from indignant sprawls on the floor.

“Ty Lee, don't fight them,” Suki said.

“I'm not leaving you!” Ty Lee hissed.

“Lio won't harm me,” Suki said, and something about the firm tone in her voice made Ty Lee back down. She didn't fight Viz when he put the cuffs on her. Viz marched her out of the room at a brisk pace, leaving Lio to put his hand on Suki's shoulder.

“Suki, I...” Piandao started, but Suki grasped his hand.

“Remember what I said,” Suki said tightly. “Do what you can.”

“I promise,” Piandao whispered, squeezing her fingers.

“And find that other Kyoshi Warrior. Arrest her too!” Bai said as Piandao's stomach dropped. He hoped that wherever Tamarind was she was safe and avoiding the Council chambers for the moment. He wouldn't be able to protect her if she showed up.

Lio walked Suki out of the door, and she let go, leaving Piandao standing in the middle of the Council chamber. The air was tense as the door closed behind Captain Lio, Suki, Fen, and the rest of Lio's guards, including the ones Ty Lee had chi-blocked, helped along by their peers. One man had to be carried out; his legs weren't working yet.

That left the Piandao staring down the Grand Sage, with Ru still holding Bai against the wall.

The letter from General Iroh lay on the Council table in front of the Grand Sage where he'd thrown it down. Madame Biyu was sobbing in the corner, blowing her nose like a trumpet.

The moment the door closed behind Suki and Lio's men, Ru pushed Bai against the wall with a hard bang. “And what about our illustrious keeper of coin?”

“Let him go,” the Grand Sage said.

“He assaulted the Seneschal,” Ru said, indignant.

“She kicked me first,” Bai said. “She had it coming.”

“She's pregnant, you cowardly son of a bitch.”

“She's a criminal! A murderer!”

“She's innocent until proven guilty, and if she miscarries... I will make sure you pay for what you've done, Bai,” Ru said, his voice shaking with his anger. “I'll call an agni kai. Do you understand?”

“I'm not a Firebender.”

“All the more fun for me then, coward,” Ru said. He cracked his neck and glanced back at Piandao. “Would you like to go a few rounds on him, Pi?”

The answer was yes, but Piandao sighed instead. “That won't be necessary, Ru, but thank you for offering. Right now we have other things to worry about. Fire Lord Zuko has been kidnapped. That is our priority. Or it should be.”

Piandao looked pointedly at the Grand Sage.

“And that is why the Fire Nation needs leadership at this time. We have to coordinate with the Earth King. We should send someone to the Earth Kingdom at once,” the Grand Sage said, as Ru let Bai go with a disgusted snarl. Bai yanked his robes back into place and pushed away from the wall, looking thoroughly put out. He sidled along the wall, back toward the Grand Sage and away from Ru, who was pacing the floor like a caged tigerdillo, looking like he wanted nothing more than to throw a fireball at Bai's wide backside.

“For once, we agree,” Piandao said, putting his hands flat on the table beside a balled up, blood-stained Kyoshi Warrior uniform. Lio and Viz had found it in Zuko and Suki's suite, along with the blood-crusted sword that was resting on top of the uniform. “But you don't have the authority to make such a call.”

Bai sat down in a chair at the table. “He will once we call a vote. There are four Council members present. We just need a majority vote and the Grand Sage will assume the position of Steward.”

“Until Zuko's return, of course,” the Grand Sage said, but he was smiling beneath his beard.

Piandao looked from Bai to the Grand Sage. He knew a power grab when he saw it, but there was nothing he could do to stop it. The laws allowed such a vote by the Council, and with Zuko kidnapped and in the Earth Kingdom, possibly dead, it left the Fire Nation in need of leadership.

How convenient that the Grand Sage had shown up to take control the very day Iroh's letter had arrived. That was more than suspicious; it was downright blood-chilling. Piandao looked down at the bloody sword, the evidence used to turn everyone against Suki and the other Warriors.

 _Tamarind,_ he thought with an ache. If she was arrested... He had to get to her first before the guards found her.

“Call the vote,” Piandao said, tapping his hand on the table. “If you think you have your majority, then call it now, Bai.”

Bai looked at him, and then at Ru. “Fine. I vote yes to bestow the Stewardship of the Fire Nation on Grand Sage Luzhou. Madame Biyu, who do you vote?”

Madame Biyu looked entirely taken aback for a moment, emerging from her soaked handkerchief and looking at them with red eyes. She looked from Bai to the bloody uniform and sword on the table for a long moment. Then her chin hardened and she looked up, resolve written all over her face. “I... I vote yes.”

Piandao flinched. He'd hoped Biyu was still too shocked about what Bai had done to Suki to vote in his favor, but clearly she'd worked it over herself. If she didn't trust Bai, she at least trusted the Grand Sage.

“Piandao, how do you vote?”

“I vote no,” Piandao said, looking at Bai with contempt on his face.

“You may regret that,” Bai said to him, and then turned to Ru, who was still pacing, looking red-face beneath his dark beard. “Ru, how do you vote?”

Ru paced for nearly a minute, his gaze on the floor as he wore a line in the boards. Piandao held his breath for a long moment, as Ru came to a stop at the window. He rubbed at his neck and turned back to face the council table, and Piandao knew immediately how he would vote.

His stomach dropped as Ru looked from him to the Grand Sage and then to Bai. “Loathe though I am to vote in your favor, Bai, I too believe that the Fire Nation is in crisis at the moment. We need leadership until we have our Fire Lord back. I reluctantly vote yes.”

“Three to one, the vote passes. The Grand Sage will immediately assume the position of Steward until such time as Fire Lord Zuko returns, or, another heir can be found,” Bai said with a smile on his face.

Piandao pushed away from the table.

“Where are you going, Councilman?” the Grand Sage said, his smile just as sickeningly triumphant as Bai's. “We need to discuss your trip to the Earth Kingdom.”

“My trip?” Piandao said, brows rising. “I think you're mistaken, Grand Sage. Steward. Whatever high title you want to call yourself. I have no plans to leave the palace at this time. I fear for the safety of the Fire Lady, and I won't leave her.”

“That murderous Earth Kingdom peasant will be put into the dungeons until such time as we see fit to hold a trial. She is not your concern any longer. You will go to the Earth Kingdom at once and do what you can to bring our Fire Lord home.”

A part of Piandao wanted to agree; his concern for Zuko was mounting the more he thought about what kind of situation he might be in. But Zuko was smart, and he had Iroh and the rest of the Kyoshi Warriors to find him. If he was already dead, then there was nothing he, Piandao, could do.

But Suki was in danger here, now. She had no one to watch her back now that Ty Lee had been arrested. And there was no one to protect Tamarind either, who would surely be tossed into a cell with Ty Lee.

Or worse, Tamarind might fight if confronted. No, he knew that she would. She wouldn't let herself be arrested without one. She might get injured... They might even...

Piandao shoved those thoughts away, lifting his chin, trying not to show his worry. He clasped his arms behind his back and glared at the Steward-Grand Sage.

“I'm staying.”

The tension in the room skyrocketed, as Piandao and the Grand Sage stared one another down.

“You never did learn to take orders, did you. Once a traitor, always a traitor.”

The words slammed into Piandao and he took in a sharp breath. “I'm loyal to the Seneschal, as Fire Lord Zuko would want me to be.”

“Your precious Seneschal is clearly behind the Fire Lord's kidnapping,” Bai burst out, tossing Iroh's letter across the table at him. Piandao ignored it.

“And you'd be a fool to believe that, Bai,” Piandao said. “I'm going to get to the bottom of this. I'm not leaving the palace.”

“I'll go,” Ru said, surprising Piandao into turning toward him. Ru was standing gravely beside the window, his arms over his barrel chest. “I'll leave tonight, at once, for the Earth Kingdom. If the Fire Lord can be saved, then I will gladly assist General Iroh and the Earth King in any way that I can.”

The Grand Sage looked like he wanted to argue, but thought better of it. He nodded wisely, stroking his beard.

“An excellent suggestion, Duke. You will leave at once, my full authority.” Piandao had heard enough. He marched for the door, but the Grand Sage spoke loudly, “I haven't given you my permission to leave, Piandao.”

“Arrest me then,” Piandao said, pushing the door open and marching into the hallway; he saw rather than heard Hung and his other two guards fall into step behind him. The Grand Sage called his name, but Piandao ignored it. He was halfway down the corridor when Ru called his name as well. This time he turned, facing Ru.

“You shouldn't anger him,” Ru said as he pushed past Hung, surprising him. Piandao gestured for Hung and the others to step back out of earshot, then gestured for Ru to follow him.

They ducked into a small and thankfully empty reception room. The curtains on the windows were drawn and the room smelled musty and closed up like it hadn't been used in months. Piandao closed the door and swung on the Duke.

“Why did you vote yes, Ru? You saw what Bai did.”

Ru paced the room, as he usually did when his emotions got the better of him. “I saw no other choice, Piandao. I don't like it any more than you do. It feels like a convenient power grab.”

“Too convenient for my liking,” Piandao said darkly.

Ru nodded. “I agree. This power grab by Bai and the Grand Sage, while Guo is in the healing ward unconscious, and Lady Lian's poor body isn't even cold yet? And on the very morning, we learn of Zuko's kidnapping? I've never believed in coincidence.”

“Surely you don't think the Seneschal had anything to do with it?” Piandao asked warily because Ru had seemed as angry at the evidence as the others.

Ru hesitated. “I admit it looks bad. The evidence points to the Seneschal. There was a witness who saw a Kyoshi Warrior at the scene, and we found her bloody uniform in her suite, along with the murder weapon. And the fan found on Lian's body. The letter as well... It... It's all a bit... A bit too...”

“Perfect?” Piandao said as Ru rocked back on his heels, nodding.

“Exactly,” Ru said. “The Seneschal is a smart woman, and incredibly capable. The more I think about it, the more I can't reconcile the crime with the woman I know. And... There are other things. I have seen Suki and Zuko together. There is no way she would be involved in a crime against him. You weren't here when Lady Shura attempted her coup with the Smoke Demons. They were willing to die for one another. And they almost did several times. Half of my gray hair is from those two.”

Ru rubbed at the gray peppering his dark beard and then sighed.

“I agree. I haven't been here long, but I think the last thing Suki would do was put Zuko in harm's way, let alone go along with a kidnapping. As for Lian... I believe someone is trying to set her up. And it looks like its working.”

Ru rubbed at his chin again, looking thoughtful. “I agree. The more I think of it, the more it seems obvious to me. Do you know who would do that?”

Piandao snorted and gestured to the door. “I have two suspects as we speak.”

Ru nodded. “That's what I was thinking as well. I don't trust the Grand Sage. He's a prejudiced bastard. And Bai... Bai showed his true colors today. I never liked him, but after what he did to Suki, I'd like to hang him by his balls and use him for target practice. I'm afraid of what these two may be planning.”

“We can't prove anything,” Piandao said warningly. “Yet.”

Ru nodded. “Yet, but I think you'll get to the bottom of it. Zuko always spoke highly of you. I can see why.”

“And you as well, Duke Ru,” Piandao said, bowing to him. “I know if Zuko is alive in the Earth Kingdom, you will find him. I regret not going myself, but... I can't leave Suki. Not now. She's in as much danger as Zuko is, I'm afraid.”

“Zuko will understand. I daresay he'd rather you protected her than attempted to rescue him,” Ru said wryly. “He loves her more than anyone or anything. I'll make sure to tell him she's in capable hands when I find him.”

“I hope that you do. Farewell, Duke Ru,” Piandao said, clasping his wrist. Ru shook it with a firm grip, his face grim, though the fire and restlessness in his eyes were still there.

“Farewell, Piandao,” Ru said, stepping toward the door. He stopped, however, turning back to Piandao. “Watch your back.”

“And you as well.”

Ru ducked out of the room, leaving Piandao to let out a breath. He hadn't known what to expect from Ru; the man was loud and angry, but he was also shrewd and honorable. He was quick to react but given a moment to think he'd come to the same conclusion as Piandao had.

At least he had an ally in the palace, even if Ru was leaving for Ba Sing Se. He needed all of the allies as he could get right now. Who knew what the Grand Sage's motives were, or what Bai was about to do.

When he came out of the room, Hung was standing at attention, and Ru was disappearing down the hallway. His other guards had taken up position ahead of them, guarding the hallway, standing at attention. Hung glanced at him as he left the room.

“Where is Tamarind's room?” Piandao asked him.

Hung looked momentarily taken aback. “Uh... In the east wing. Second floor. Why? Is something wrong? They hauled the Seneschal away, and Captain Ty Lee was in cuffs.”

“We have a situation. The palace may not be safe any longer,” Piandao said and then looked into Hung's eyes. “I need you to go to Tamarind's room. If she's there, bring to my suite. Try to avoid any other guards. They may be looking to arrest her.”

“Arrest her?” Hung said, looking startled. “What about her alibi?”

“I'm afraid someone witnessed a Kyoshi Warrior near Lian's home last night. They've pinned the crime on Suki for now, but Tamarind is in danger. If you find her, bring her to my suite. Do you understand?”

Hung nodded. “Of course. What about you?”

“I have another lead I need to follow at the moment,” Piandao said, regret in his voice. He wanted to find Tamarind, but there wasn't time. “Find her, Hung.”

“Yes, Piandao,” Hung said, bowing to him. Then he marched off down the hallway, leaving Piandao to turn in the direction of his office. His other guards fell into step with him, but he stopped, turning on them. “Your services are no longer needed. Return to your regular posts.”

They hesitated, looking at one another. “We have our orders, Councilman. We're supposed to guard you.”

“The person who attacked Guo and Lian was just arrested. I'm in no danger. That will be all. If your commander asks, tell them I dismissed you. You have my orders,” Piandao said, pushing past them. They didn't follow him this time, and he was grateful.

He didn't like having guards at the best of times, but he definitely didn't need any tailing him from now on. If he was going to find out who was setting Suki up, then he was going to have to be as stealthy as possible.

The corridors were quiet as he made his way to his office, his worry over Suki, Zuko, and Tamarind's whereabouts making his stomach sour and tight. When he opened his office door and stepped inside, his thoughts were lingering on Tamarind. He couldn't help it.

His office was dark; someone had drawn the curtains over his window and extinguished the oil lanterns on the walls. That made him frown; he knew he'd left the window open and the lamps burning when he'd left.

He closed the door to his office and threw the lock. He took one step, and felt the presence in the room, the air moving on the back of his neck. Piandao reacted immediately, turning and grabbing at the figure standing behind his door.

He caught an arm and heard a cry. The next moment a fist hammered into his face, and he found himself on his back on the floor, with the intruder straddling him. The light from his window caught on a painted face, with big green eyes, half a moment before he felt the sharp edge of a knife at his throat.


	8. Tam

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know it's been a few months! Real life stuff kept me too busy to write, but I'm back at it again. Expect regular updates from here on out, as often as I can manage them. Thank you all for being patient with me, and letting me know you want me to continue. I appreciate it more than I can ever say! You guys are amazing!
> 
> Also, this story got a sliiiight name change. 
> 
> This chapter takes place during Chapters 45, 46, and 47 of With Or Without You.

"Tamarind! It's me!" Piandao hissed from beneath her, his voice tight with pain, eyes wide in the darkened room. Tam stopped, the dagger inches away from his exposed throat. Her mouth flew open and she gasped.

"Pi?" she squeaked, and immediately flinched at the fear and shock in her voice. Breathing hard, she and Piandao stared at one another in the gloom of his office, for what felt like hours. She couldn't seem to move, staring into his gray eyes, her knees still pinning one of his hands down.

He'd managed to free a hand when she'd taken him down to the ground, and he slowly moved it up, gently grasping her wrist and pulling the dagger back from his throat. She didn't fight him. Sweat rolled down her back and temples, adrenaline from her flight through the palace still pumping through her.

"Easy, it's okay," Piandao said, in a much calmer voice than she'd expected from a man she'd just punched in the face and taken down to the ground. "I'm not going to hurt you, Tamarind."

Tam let out a breath and let the dagger drop to the floor beside his head with a clatter. Then she shifted back, realizing she was still straddling him. She gained her feet with an unsteady lurch, her knees shaking.

"I'm sorry. I thought... I thought you were someone else," she said, and offered her gloved hand to him. Piandao looked at it, and then reached out, taking it. She pulled him to his feet, and she intended to let go of him, but found herself pressing her face to his chest, her arms around his neck in a fiercely tight hug.

Piandao stiffened against her for half a second, then she felt his arms go around her, enveloping her in the steady warmth of his arms. Despite how sweaty she was, she held on, breathing in the smell of him. He was all spice and masculine sweat, soap and sandalwood. She felt his breath against her temple and the brush of his callused fingers as his hand spread on the back of her neck beneath the gathered knot of her dark hair.

"You're trembling," he whispered, his voice vibrating through his chest with a deep rumble. "What happened?"

"I didn't know where else to go," she said stupidly. "I panicked, and I realized I was close to your office. But when you came in the door, I thought it was that guard."

"What guard?" Piandao asked, his voice tight. Tam breathed in and then pulled her head back from his chest.

"The one who was chasing me. He saw me leaving Zuko and Suki's suite. I didn't want to fight him, but he gave me no choice. I thought I knocked him out, but I didn't stick around to find out," she said, pushing away from his arms and going over to the door. She threw the lock and then turned back around to see Piandao watching her. He was very still.

 _Probably just afraid I'll attack him again_ , she thought. _Or worse._

"I know why the guard was chasing you," Piandao said, walking over to the window and pulling the curtains open a crack to let light into the room. She'd closed them the minute she'd run into his office. She hadn't been there more than a minute or two before she'd heard the door unlock. She should have realized it was Piandao, but she'd had one hell of a day so far. Her brain was in panic mode.

Especially after what she'd seen in Zuko and Suki's suite only an hour ago. Her throat closed, fear slamming into her in a fresh wave.

"Believe me, I know why he was chasing me," she said darkly, reaching up and pushing her sweaty hair off of her forehead. She looked up and caught sight of Piandao's expression; his eyes were graver than usual, and his mouth was turned down. His lip was split where she'd punched him, but it didn't seem to be bothering him.

"I'm sorry about punching you," she said, as he lifted his hand and swiped at the thin trickle of blood. He succeeded in smearing it into his salt and pepper beard.

"I've taken harder hits."

"Ouch," she said, walking over to him.

"No offense intended," he said softly, looking down at her. "I caught you by surprise. Your weight wasn't completely behind it. And it was dark."

Her brow quirked at the flash of humor in his voice. Grasping her sleeve, she lifted it to his mouth, wiping the blood from his beard before it could dry. He let her do it. "You're teasing me."

"I'm not the teasing type," he said, though his eyes sparkled with amusement.

She looked up at him, letting a slow smile curl her lips. "I am."

Piandao took a breath and then bit down on his split bottom lip. "I... Uh..."

He looked flustered, moving back and smoothing his hand down the front of his black robes. He took a breath and then cleared his throat, pointedly looking away from her.

"Pi—"

"We have a lot to talk about, I think," he said darkly, sitting down on the edge of his desk. He gestured to the comfortable brown leather chair in front of him, and her eyes went to it immediately. She suddenly remembered the dream she'd had just that morning—had it really been just that morning? A flash of the dream came back to her, of herself in that very chair with Piandao on the floor before her, his head between her legs...

Heat rose up her already hot skin. She avoided the chair, choosing instead to pace back and forth across his office floor, her gloved her hand bouncing against her thigh. Her adrenaline was still up from the flight across the palace, and the fight with the guardsman. And from what she'd witnessed in the Fire Lord's suite.

"Tell me what happened," Piandao said.

She glanced at him, and then away, pacing back and forth to work out the rest of her nerves. It took her a moment to find the words.

"When we got back from Lady Lian's, Suki sent me after the dagger. She was going to tell the Council about it. I stopped by my room to get changed first, because my shift was coming up. That was my first mistake. If I'd gone to get the damned dagger first..." She stopped and then shook her head. "It wouldn't have mattered. Not after what Captain Viz did."

She glanced at Piandao, but he was watching her with his arms crossed, waiting.

"The point is, I didn't get the dagger in time. I'd barely gotten to the suite before Captains Viz and Lio came in behind me with a load of guardsmen. Something told me I needed to hide, so I dove under the bed about a half a second before they started tearing the suite apart."

Captain Viz had ordered his men to search the place, while Captain Lio, for his part, had seemed reluctant, even against the idea. Tam had had no idea what they were searching for, but she'd had a good idea.

After all, Lady Lian had been found with a Kyoshi fan stuffed down her throat. Of course they were blaming Suki for it. Tam had watched from beneath the bed as they'd tossed the place, expecting at any moment for her hiding place to be uncovered, but they hadn't bothered looking beneath the bed.

They found the dagger in Suki's wardrobe where she'd told Tam she'd hidden it. Tam had watched in mounting horror and a sense of paranoia and fear as Viz had unwrapped it.

Lio had taken it and his men out of the suite, telling Viz he was going to the Council, while Viz had kept searching for more evidence. Or at least Tam had thought that was what he'd been looking for.

"They found the dagger Suki's mother made, and then Viz..." she explained to Piandao, turning back to face him again. "Once Lio and his men left the suite, Viz ordered his men to search the bathing room. The minute he was alone, another man came into the bedroom. I didn't see his face. He was wearing a guardsman's uniform and helmet, but his face stayed turned away from mine the whole time. He handed Viz a sword and a wrapped bundle."

Piandao's jaw hardened and he leaned away from the desk immediately. "You witnessed Captain Viz planting evidence?"

"I think so," she said, her heart pounding. "I don't know what was in the bundle. The guardsman left the suite. Then Viz called in his men and pretended like he'd found it in one of the trunks. He said they were going to arrest Suki, and me. And Ty Lee. They left the suite, and I waited as long as I could, but I had to get to Suki, to warn her... But that stupid guard... I ended up here, and Suki's still in danger! I have to get to her, but if they're looking for me..."

She trailed off, as Piandao closed the small space between them, grasping her shoulders. "Captain Viz brought the evidence to the Council already. It was a blood-covered Kyoshi uniform, and a bloody sword. They also presented the dagger."

"And Suki? Ty Lee? I have to get to them, I—" She tried to turn toward the door, but Piandao's strong hands stopped her.

"They have arrested Captain Ty Lee already."

Tam's mouth fell open and the breath left her in a rush. "Suki?"

"The Seneschal... They arrested her too, but... You need to sit down."

She allowed Piandao to steer her into the leather chair, and she sat down numbly, her head spinning. She'd known it was bad, known the moment the door of the suite had opened and she'd seen Captains Viz and Lio. She'd known since hearing about that fan they'd found in Lian's throat that things were about to go sideways, but she hadn't reckoned on this.

Piandao sank down to his knees in front of her, his hands on her knees. His touch was warm and soothing, making tingles rush through her.

"Piandao, what is it? What aren't you telling me?"

He took a breath and then explained in a somber voice what had happened in the Council chamber. She listened with growing horror, staring into Piandao's sad eyes, unable to look away.

Her hand lifted to her mouth for a moment. "Zuko..."

"Duke Ru is on his way to Ba Sing Se. If the Fire Lord is still alive, I have no doubt that he'll be able to find him and bring him home. If not... We'll worry about that when the time comes. Right now, our priorities must be protecting Suki. I believe you saw Captain Viz and a guardsman planting the evidence framing the Seneschal, but the problem is..."

"The problem is Bai and the Grand Sage just staged a coup and they're clearly not going to listen to me. They'll arrest me the minute I show my face, no matter what I have to say," she said bitterly. "Seems convenient that the Grand Sage showed up to take control the minute Viz is there to plant evidence on Suki."

"I don't believe in coincidence,"Piandao said. "The Grand Sage is a bigot. He isn't vocally against the Harmony Restoration Movement, but then again, most people aren't these days. Those still loyal to the old ways keep their opinions to themselves and play the part of the patriot if they have to. The Grand Sage is one of those people. He's no fan of Zuko marrying a woman from the Earth Kingdom, but that's just the tip of his issues with Zuko. I'd be surprised if he weren't involved in Zuko's disappearance."

" _Fuck_ ," Tam said, with feeling. Piandao nodded.

"Fuck," he agreed.

"Do you think he's okay?"

"Fire Lord Zuko?" Piandao mused for a moment, looking thoughtful. "He's tough, a survivor. He's a master Firebender, and a gifted swordsman. I trained him as a boy. I know what he's capable of. If he's still alive, I have no doubt that he'll stay that way. Wherever he is, I pity the people who are holding him hostage, especially if General Iroh is after them. My old friend is not a man I would ever want to cross, kind and funny though he is. He'll find Zuko and Princess Azula."

Tam felt fear run through her, despite Piandao's reassuring words. She was scared for Zuko, but there was nothing she could do to help him. Her main knot of worry was bound up around thoughts of Suki. Bai had punched her in the stomach, Piandao had told her. They'd arrested her, but Piandao had made sure they took her to the healing ward. And Ty Lee had blabbed about the pregnancy.

The news would be all over the palace before long that Suki was pregnant, but getting punched in the stomach like that...

"What if she loses the baby?" Tam said and then felt tears start in her eyes. "Pi... I have to help her. I have to get to her, before they put her in the dungeon or something. We have to go get her. We have to tell them what I saw! They have to listen!"

She started to get up, but Piandao grasped her face, forcing her to stay seated and to look at him.

"We only have your word that Viz planted that evidence. If they even listen to you before arresting you and throwing you into a cell with Ty Lee. Before they arrested her, Suki told me to find you. She knew you were in danger. She wanted me to protect you. I won't go against her wishes by letting you walk into that nest of vipers without proof that Viz is in on a plot to frame Suki. I saw what they did to Suki. I won't allow you to get hurt too, Tamarind. I'd rather die than let that happen."

The fierceness in his voice took her off guard. Her hands lifted to his wrists and she wrapped her fingers around them, holding on tightly as he gently cradled her face. Something about the determination there, the honest edge in his voice, soothed her. He meant what he was saying.

"I don't need you to protect me, Piandao."

"I know that," he said and his lips curled a little, a sad smile. "But I'm going to do it anyway."

Tam lowered her face, sighing. She felt overwhelmed, shaky. It had been a long day, full of horrors and intrigue, and the upending of everything in her life. And here she was, clinging to the softness in Piandao's voice, letting it soothe her, wishing she could bury her face against his chest again and forget everyone and everything.

But she couldn't.

She lifted her head and hardened her jaw. "Then you need to know that I'm going to go after whoever is behind this. Viz is either the mastermind, which I find unlikely, or he's working for or with the person who is. Maybe it's the Grand Sage, maybe not, but I'm going to get to the bottom of it. Don't try and stop me."

"I wouldn't dream of it, Tamarind," Piandao said, and a ghost of smile cross his face. "I intend on having your back every step of the way. If you think you could use me?"

 _Oh, I could use you...you have no idea how..._ Tam thought and then forced herself to focus. Now was not the time for those particular thoughts. _Stupid horny brain... Even in a crisis, I'm still thinking about sitting in his lap..._

"I can't do this without you, Pi," she said, and saw another small smile cross his lips, his head tilting a little. "There's only one problem. I'm a wanted woman. If I leave this office in this uniform, another guard like that last one is going to spot me. I can't fight off the entire Royal guard, or the Imperial Firebenders! I'm good, but I'm not that good."

Piandao nodded, looking thoughtful. "I thought the same thing. I sent Hung to find you with orders to bring you to my suite. I didn't know you were in my office."

At the mention of Hung, Tam felt a blush start behind her ears. Flashes of kissing him that morning came back to her in lurid detail. She wondered if Hung had told Piandao that they'd kissed. She hoped that he hadn't.

For some reason, she didn't want Piandao to know that she had kissed Hung. Especially because she wasn't sure how serious she was about Hung and whatever was starting there between them. She liked him. She knew that, but Ty Lee and Suki's comments about her past relationships had been bouncing around in her head, and she couldn't ignore how close to the truth they'd been.

And none of it mattered at the moment anyway. Her confusing and self sabotaged love life was going to have to simmer on the back burner until she found out who was trying to frame her and her sisters for murder.

_Priorities._

"Your suite?"

"It's probably the safest place in the palace for you at the moment. They wouldn't search there, at least not without reason."

"You're probably right," she said, biting her lip. "But we still have the same problem as before. I'm not going to get very far in the palace in this uniform and with this face. I don't think many people would recognize me without my paint on, but with the paint..."

"You stand out like a sore thumb," Piandao said, and then stood. He went around the desk and pulled a drawer on his desk open. He pulled out a leather skin that sloshed. Then he pulled a handkerchief out of the drawer and came around the desk. He crouched down in front of her again. "May I?"

"I can do it," she started, but he shook his head.

"I don't have a mirror. You might miss a place and I don't want to give anyone a reason to look at you twice," he said, opening the skin of water and wetting the handkerchief. He glanced up at her as he put the cork back in it again. "Not that they won't look twice anyway."

"Why's that?" she asked, frowning, as Piandao started gently wiping her paint away.

"There aren't many men, or women for that matter, who would ignore one of the most beautiful women in the world if she walked past them."

Tam blushed again, this time with her entire face and most of her chest. Her skin burned as Piandao gently cleaned the black paint from her brows, seemingly not aware of the effect his words had on her, or how easily he'd brought her mind back to the one place she'd been trying desperately not to let it go.

_Priorities. PRIORITIES._

But Piandao was very close, and the thumb beneath her chin, tilting her face up to the light, was very soft and very strong. Her heart was pounding in her chest, and, despite everything, she could feel tingles running through her, from her head to her toes. She felt that same rush go through her, the one she'd been feeling since the first time she'd laid her eyes on him. It was enough to make her dizzy.

"You think I'm beautiful?" she asked, as he finished wiping her paint off.

Piandao's eyes met hers and then looked away. He folded the damp, paint-streaked cloth and said in a soft voice,"Yes. More than I should."

"Why is that?"

But Piandao sat back on his heels, his gaze flicking across her face. "That will do, I think. You need to take your uniform off."

"Well, I've definitely heard that before," she said teasingly, and saw his face go red again. "I think I'll get a lot of looks if I walk around naked. They may not even notice my face, paint or not."

"You can wear my robe," he said shortly, unclasping it at the shoulder and pulling it off over his head. He was wearing an undershirt and black pants gathered at the ankles beneath it. The undershirt was sleeveless and she caught herself staring at his muscular arms, and a thick slash of a scar that curved around his shoulder and down the top of his biceps.

She remembered seeing the scars on his back that morning, and again wondered what they could be from. She almost asked, but now was not the time.

_Priorities. FOCUS!_

She took the robe from him and he turned around to face the window, staring out into the garden below them. His office faced the turtle duck pond; she'd seen it when she'd pulled the curtains closed.

She glanced at him and then quickly pulled her uniform off. She tucked her fan into the side of her panties, then pulled Piandao's black and gold robe on over her head. She clasped it closed and smoothed it down. It smelled like him, that sandalwood scent that made her mouth water and her knees get weak.

Piandao was only a few inches taller than she was; he was not a tall man, powerfully built though he was, so the robe mostly fit her. It came down to mid-calf, and split at the sides for fighting, showing a generous expanse of her legs.

She put her boots back on and looked up to see Piandao watching her from the window with a strange expression on his face.

"Well? How do I look?" she said, standing again and turning in a circle. "Like a Kyoshi Warrior on the lam?"

"Let's hope not," Piandao said darkly. "My suite isn't far, but they'll be looking for you. We should expect trouble."

Tam grinned. "Sounds like my kind of fun."


	9. Piandao

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This takes place before chapter 48 of With Or Without You.

The corridor was quiet when Piandao eased the door open, looking left, then right. He glanced over his shoulder at Tam. She had a determined look on her face, her freckles standing out in little sprinkles across her nose. She'd taken her hair down from the elaborate coil, letting it fall down across her shoulders in a shiny black curtain.

They'd hidden her uniform in the locked drawer of his desk, though she had her sword belted beneath the robe he'd given her, and her fan was tucked up inside of the trailing sleeves.

"Ready?"

"As ready as I'll ever be," she said, and he started to turn back toward the door, but she caught his shoulder, her touch light and warm. He turned back to her. "If someone recognizes me, I don't want you to fight. If I get arrested, you need to be free to help Suki. I'll say I took you hostage or something."

Piandao saw the fierce look in her eyes. He knew that she meant it. His hand folded over hers on his shoulder and he squeezed her fingers.

"I won't let them take you, Tamarind. Just follow me and keep your head down. My suite isn't far." She took a breath, as he dropped his hand. He pushed the door open again, and looked up and down the corridor, then reached back, offering her his hand. "Come on."

She took his hand, her fingers lacing with his, and he pulled her behind him, out of the office and into the echoing corridor. This was a seldom-used part of the palace, full of mostly empty offices and storerooms. He had chosen this office for its view and the solitude, and he was grateful for his choice now.

If he had taken the late and not lamented Councilman Osamu's office, near the Council chambers and in the heart of the administration wing of the palace, they would never have stood a chance of getting to his suite undetected.

Tam didn't let go of his hand, as they marched quickly down the corridor, side by side. He glanced at her, but she was watching behind them. He looked ahead, pulling her down a side corridor. Halfway down the corridor, they heard a set of footsteps approaching, and Piandao, turned, grasping Tam and moving her into a niche halfway down the corridor.

There was a gleaming statue of a phoenix with flaming wings in the niche. Piandao moved Tam against the wall, flattening himself between her and the statue, as the sound of footsteps and then voices came closer.

Tam hitched in a breath, her eyes squeezing shut for a moment as they both tensed. When she opened her eyes, he realized how close she was, his body covering hers in the tiny, cramped space. The smell of her perfume was subtle and soft. She opened her mouth to say something, but he lifted his finger to his lips.

"Shhh..." he mouthed, as the guardsmen passed them by. They didn't look twice into the niche, walking at a brisk pace down the corridor in the direction in which they'd just come.

Piandao turned his head, watching them go, still tense. When he turned back to face Tam, she was watching him with her eyes half-mast, a small smile curling her lips.

Something about the expression on her face made his blood heat up, and he felt warm all of a sudden, pressed there against her. It was too intimate, too close.

He wondered what she would do if he kissed her.

The thought roared through him in an instant, and he had to catch himself before he did that very thing. It was a mad impulse, a fantasy, but he wanted to indulge it, to kiss that little smile from her lips, and twist his hands up in her hair... Despite their situation, despite everything that had happened... The temptation was almost too much for him.

He swallowed, backing up a step, and nearly ramming right into the statue at his back.

"Stay here," he whispered, and ducked out of the niche before she could argue with him. He looked both ways, but the guardsmen had disappeared around a corner. He went in the opposite direction, his hands behind his back, his steps purposeful.

He tried to school his expression as he walked to the T-intersection of the hallway, hoping to keep the blood from his cheeks and trying to quell his powerful reaction to her.

It was madness, this feeling. It had to be. He was trying to save her life, keep her out of the dungeons... He shouldn't be thinking these things. He had to focus on the task at hand, and as he marched, he forced himself to the task that lay before him.

_Get Tamarind to safety._

_Find out why Captain Viz had planted that evidence on Suki._

_Clear her good name._

_Try not to get arrested for opposing our new Steward._

_And stop thinking the things you're thinking about that girl. She doesn't want you. You're acting like a lovesick fool._

But that was exactly what he was, and he knew it.

The adjoining corridor was empty. He turned and saw Tam watching him around the corner of the niche. He gestured with two fingers for her to join him, and she slipped out of the shadows, and jogged toward him, her hair flying behind her like a rippling black banner.

"We're close," he said when she joined him. "Up those stairs, and two corridors down."

"Lead the way, Councilman," she said tightly. He felt her hand slip into his again, and he couldn't help the way his heartbeat picked up, galloping at the softness and surety in her touch. When he glanced at her, she was still smiling a little, mischief dancing in her eyes.

They made it up the stairs without incident, but at the top of the stairs, there was no avoiding the pair of guardsmen stationed on either side of the corridor. The men glanced at them as they passed. Piandao kept staring ahead, hoping that neither of them recognized Tam without her face paint and uniform on.

Tam's fingers squeezed his, and he noticed that she kept her head down as they passed the guards, her hair swinging forward to hide her face as much as possible. The guards let them pass unmolested, though Piandao's heart was pounding like a drum.

They turned into another corridor, the one that lead to his suite on the third floor, and Piandao stopped, shoving Tam back against the wall.

"What?"

"Stay here. If someone comes, run," he said shortly, cursing his bad timing. He left her there without explaining, turning into the corridor, where Captain Lio was standing, silently pacing back and forth in front of the door of Piandao's suite. The Captain's head was down, his expression dark and thoughtful.

Piandao hadn't seen him since he had ordered the man to take Suki to the healing ward. Seeing him made the knot of worry in his guts, which he'd been trying to ignore, tighten again, with a painful lurch. Worry over the Seneschal filled him. Bai had punched her in the stomach hard enough to knock her to knees.

He couldn't imagine what that might do to a woman in her condition. He was afraid Lio was about to give him some bad news. He steeled himself as best he could, and called Lio's name, making the man's head come up as he turned to face him.

"Is there a problem, Captain?"

"Several, Councilman," Lio sighed. "I just got back from the healing ward."

"The Seneschal? Is she...?"

Lio nodded. "She's recovering, I think. That old healer, Nam-Kyu, she's keeping her overnight for observation. I get the feeling it's a ploy to keep the Seneschal out of the dungeons, but I didn't argue the point. I don't want to throw a woman in her condition into a cell, especially not the Seneschal."

"Or the future Fire Lady. That's the heir she's carrying. It's our duty to protect them both," Piandao said, a harsh edge to his voice.

Lio licked his lips. "The evidence against her... It's overwhelming."

"I have reason to believe that she's being set up, Captain," Piandao said, against his better judgment. According to Tam, Lio had been in the Fire Lord's suite with Viz when they'd come in to search the place. Lio had left the room, however, when Viz had planted the bloody uniform and sword. That didn't prove that Lio wasn't involved, but Piandao's instincts had never failed him before. And his instincts were telling him that Lio was clean.

He could see the man's concern for Suki, written plainly across his face. Lio and Suki had worked together closely for the last year. He knew that Lio liked her, and had often praised her work as Seneschal.

Whatever Viz was involved in, if he was the one framing Suki, or if he was working with someone else who was trying to frame her, Piandao doubted that Lio had had anything to do with that. However, Lio was well-known for being a stickler for rules and regulations. Lio wasn't the type to go against orders, even orders he disagreed with. When the Grand Steward had ordered Lio to arrest Suki and Ty Lee, he had hesitated, but he'd complied in the end.

"I would like to believe that, but my fondness for the Seneschal doesn't change the facts. I saw the bloody uniform myself. I helped load the bodies of Lady Lian's entire household onto a cart to take them to the Fire Sage Temple. We had to stack them three high. It was... I don't want to believe any of the Kyoshi Warriors had anything to do with that crime, but I will not let my feelings get in the way of justice. I have my orders from the Grand Sage. The Steward... Whatever. I can't disobey them."

Piandao's eyes narrowed a little.

"And what orders are you under at the moment?"

"We're mounting a search for the other Kyoshi Warrior. She attacked one of our guards."

Piandao's pulse leaped, but he kept his expression neutral as if it was the first time he'd heard of it.

"Did he try to arrest her?"

"He did. His mistake. He should have called for backup. I've seen the Kyoshi Warriors fight. The fool got his ass handed to him," Lio said and then blanched. "Pardon my language, Councilman. It's been a trying day."

"No apology necessary," he said, feeling a swell of pride, imagining Tamarind taking out a guard. "You'll be searching the palace grounds?"

"Yes. She's here somewhere. No doubt she'll try to get to the Seneschal at some point. I'd like to find her before this escalates. I don't like arresting her, but... I have my orders."

"And what do you need from me?"

"I need to search your suite. For security reasons."

"You think I'm harboring your fugitive?"

Lio's chin tipped up a little and he gave Piandao an assessing look. "You forget, I saw you with her today, Councilman, at Lady Lian's. I'd like to check your suite off of my list of places to search. Once I search your suite, I will make sure none of my men come back to look again. Do you understand?"

Piandao resisted the urge to glance behind him, hoping that Tam's hiding place would do for the moment. Instead, he gave Captain Lio a small smile. He understood the man perfectly.

Lio was no fool, after all.

"I assure you, she isn't in my suite at the moment. Did you try Guardsman Hung's room? I believe they're familiar with one another," he said smoothly, though the words felt bitter in his mouth. It was just a cover, the alibi that Hung had come up with to clear Tam's name, but he hated the thought, loathed it, in fact.

It made him think of Tamarind in Hung's arms, and that made other emotions—confusing, deep, dark emotions—well in him like poison.

"His room is next on my list, but something told me I should come here first," Lio said, and then gestured to the door of Piandao's suite. "After you, Councilman."

"Of course," he said, fishing out his keys and unlocking the door. He led the Captain into the room, and Lio looked around with a cursory glance. "As you can see, she isn't here."

"Then I've done my due diligence," Lio said. "Thank you for your cooperation."

"Captain," Piandao said, bowing shortly. Lio went to walk past him, but stopped, his voice lowering.

"I'll keep them from your door as long as I can, but I can't guarantee anything. Keep her hidden. We may have need of her. The Seneschal may need her. I don't trust the Grand Sage, or Bai. With Fire Lord Zuko gone..."

"This feels like a coup."

"Yes, I can't help but worry that this is all connected. The more allies we have, the better."

"Don't trust Captain Viz," Piandao said sharply.

Lio's eyes flashed, shock in his expression. "What do you know?"

"I can't say at the moment. Just don't turn your back on that man. I intend to find out more."

"Thank you for the warning," Lio said after a long moment. "I will keep you informed."

"And I will do the same."

"Until tomorrow," Lio said, and bowed out of the room. Piandao went over to the open door, and watched him walk away, in the opposite direction that he and Tamarind had come. When his footsteps had faded down the stairs, Piandao gave a short whistle.

Tam's head popped out from around the corner. He crooked his finger at her and she carefully walked toward him, brow arched.

"You know, there aren't many men that can make me come with just one finger," she said, and that stopped him dead, all thoughts fleeing from his head in an instant. He felt his face grow red. She saw the expression on his face and let out a soft laugh. "Sorry, couldn't resist. When I get nervous the pervert pops out."

"I'll have to remember that," he said, as his throat constricted and he stood back in the doorway, gesturing her into the room.

"My defense mechanism, or what makes me come?" she said, and he let out a sound, unable to stop himself. It was half a groan. He hoped she took it for disapproval, and not the moan of longing he knew that it really was.

"Tamarind..."

"You're blushing," she said, as she walked past him. Piandao glanced into the corridor, but they were still alone. He closed the door and threw the lock, sagging a little.

"I don't blush," he mumbled.

"You sure about that?" she said warmly, and looked around his suite. He pushed away from the door, breathing out a sigh of relief. He reached for the firestarter, striking a spark and holding it to a candle. Light flared, and he turned, facing Tamarind, who was standing in the middle of the room, nervously bouncing her fan off of her leg. "So what did Captain Lio want?"

He told her about Suki, and then about what Lio had said, and what he hadn't said.

"He'll make sure no one disturbs us here. I think we can count him as an ally."

"At least Suki is okay," Tam said and her face crumpled. "I wish I could go to her. And Ty Lee... She's in the dungeons. The last time she was down there, she got shot. She nearly died. She must be freaking out being down there again. And I can't even think about Zuko and the others right now."

"Zuko is beyond our ability to help at the moment, as loathe as I am to admit that. Duke Ru is on his way to the Earth Kingdom. He'll find him."

"I feel useless," Tam said, turning away from him and pacing over to the windows. The sun was going down, finally, on what had felt like the longest day of his life, and that included the day he'd spent in the stocks, being whipped over and over again for a traitor. He'd prayed for death by the end of that day, but death hadn't come. He'd survived that day, scarred and heartbroken, and if he could survive that, then he could survive anything.

"You're not useless," he said, coming over to her, and touching her shoulder. Tam turned to face him and he was struck by how green her eyes looked in the light. "This has been a long day for all of us. We just need a moment to regroup and plot our next move."

"I'm sorry you're stuck with me. I'm sure I could find somewhere else to hole up," she said, looking around his suite. "I don't want to be a bother."

"You're not. Knowing you're safe is the most important thing to me right now."

"Thank you, Piandao. I don't know what I'd do if you weren't on my side," she said, and he reached up, brushing a strand of her long hair away from her face. She caught his hand and turned her cheek into his palm. It was a soft gesture, and it worked on him like an arrow to the heart.

She looked up at him and he swallowed, then pulled his hand back. He paced backward a step, trying to get space between them, before he did something stupid, like pull her into his arms the way he had in his office.

He hadn't wanted to let her go. He still didn't. And now here she was, in his suite, his home. Looking at him with her big green eyes full of needy emotion, needing his help, and all he could think about was how much he wanted to pick her up and carry her to his bed.

"Umm... I know this place isn't much," he said, to distract himself. He gestured to the room they were in, then the door in the corner. "This is the great room. The bedroom and bathing room are through there."

She glanced at him, her shoulder sagging a little, something like disappointment on her face. He didn't know why; perhaps she didn't like his suite. He supposed she might not. He'd chosen it for its location, not its appointments.

Just like his out of the way office, he had chosen the suite on the highest floor, in the most unused section of the palace as possible. Mostly visiting generals and dignitaries stayed in these suites, but that didn't happen often. His nearest neighbor was two corridors away.

He'd gotten used to the quiet on his country estate, and valued his privacy as a result. One day he'd look into selling his estate, and buying a home in the Caldera, but for now he had resigned himself to living and working in the palace. It certainly made his commute easier.

He hadn't brought much with him to decorate and personalize the suite, just a stand of his favorite hand-forged weapons, and a few of his paintings, which he'd hung on the wall.

"Only one bedroom?"

"Uh... Yes, I'm afraid so. I don't need much. You can take the bed. I'll sleep on the couch in here. Of course."

"I don't want to put you out."

"You aren't. Lio said he'd make sure no one searched my suite. They won't find you here."

"Still, I'll bet you never counted on being invaded," she said wryly. "Unless this isn't that unusual for you? Hung said you have a parade of women in and out here all of the time."

His face grew hot again and he clasped his hands behind his back. "Ahh, yes, well... Hung likes to gossip."

"So it's true?"

He shifted in place, frowning.

"Not precisely. Some of the women in the palace can be... Aggressive. I've found it very difficult to make excuses to turn down invitations to dinner sometimes. If there's been a parade, I assure you, I wasn't leading it."

Tam's green eyes sparkled with amusement. "Poor Piandao. The cougar-rats of the palace are trying to eat you alive."

"A few have tried to take a bite, but I've resisted so far."

"So you haven't...?" she said archly. "Sampled?"

"No," he said firmly. "It has been a very long time since I.. _._ _sampled_ , as you put it."

Too long. Too damned long by half.

"That's a pity, Pi," she said, with a cheeky grin, stepping just close enough to make his mouth go dry. She looked up at him, giving him the same look she'd given him when they'd been hiding from the soldiers. Her voice dropped a little, soft and seductive. "I have a feeling you give good... _Sample_."

He stared at her, wondering how he could respond to that without falling all over himself like a horny preteen boy. His face was red, and he knew it.

"And do you...? Sample?" he said, before he could stop himself.

"As often as possible. I have quite the appetite, Pi," she said, cocking her head to the side. Her eyes flicked down his chest and then back to his face.

"Now I'm definitely blushing."

"At least you admit it," she said, with a flash of dimples.

"I think you enjoy disarming me, Tamarind."

"That's not the only thing I'd enjoy and we both know it," she said, and her eyes flicked to his, and held steady. His heart was beating like a drum.

_Spirits give me strength... She can't mean what I think she means..._

But even a fool couldn't miss the suggestion in her voice, or the way she was looking at him. Heat crawled up his spine, and that maddening impulse that had hit him in the corridor surged back through him, redoubled.

"Tamarind..." he started, but a knock sounded on the door a moment later. Tam jumped, flicking her fan open, eyes wide. The charged moment between them was broken in that instant, his rushing pulse now filled with alarm. "The bedroom."

"I..."

"Please, Tamarind!"

She made a soft sound of frustration, but spun on her heel and darted for the bedroom door. He waited until the door was safely closed, before walking over to the front door of his suite and unlocking it.

He found himself staring at Hung, who was looking annoyed about something.

"Come in," he said immediately, stepping back from the door, and grasping Hung by the arm, pulling him into the suite. He glanced down the corridor, but it was empty. He locked the door behind him and turned to face Hung.

"They're looking for Tam," Hung said. "She attacked a guard."

"I'm aware," he said, but Hung spoke over him in a rush.

"They caught me waiting outside of her room. They searched the place, but she's not there. And then they marched me back to my room and tossed the place. I think they thought she might be hiding there because of that alibi I gave them. I mean, they probably saw us kissing this morning too, so it's not a surprise they'd look for her there first thing."

Piandao, who had been about to tell Hung everything, stopped, his mouth slamming shut. Hung paced back and forth across the carpet, looking agitated.

"You kissed her?" Piandao's voice was low and harsh.

But Hung blew out a breath, his hand passing over his face. "Nevermind that. She's in the wind, Councilman. We have to find her. We have to—" Hung stopped, his gaze snapping to the bedroom door, where Tam was now framed. "Thank the Spirits! Are you okay?"

But Tamarind was looking past Hung, straight at Piandao, one hand over her mouth, her eyes huge.

All Piandao could do was stare at her, his heart falling to his toes and shattering into a million little pieces.


	10. Tam

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This takes place before Chapter 48 of With Or With You.

"What?" Hung said, looking between Tam and Piandao. Tam pushed her fist against her lips, cursing silently. She'd heard what Hung had said—the truth—and she knew that Piandao had too. "What's going on?"

"Nothing," Piandao said, his eyes hitting hers again, with another heart-wrenching jolt that made her hitch in a breath. "Nothing is going on. Did anyone follow you?"

"I don't think so," Hung said, glancing between Tam and Piandao and then back again. He shrugged a little. "But there are guards everywhere. They're going to start tossing rooms looking for you, Tam. I don't think it's safe here."

"Captain Lio was already here," Piandao said grimly, and then launched in, explaining to Hung what had happened and what Captain Lio had told them. Then he told him about what Tam had seen in Suki and Zuko's suite, how she had witnessed Viz planting the evidence that had gotten Suki arrested, and started the manhunt for her.

Tam barely heard a word he said. She was still going over what had happened just before Hung's intrusive knock had sounded on the door, interrupting...

What?

 _Me flirting with him like crazy, that's what_ , Tam said. _And I think I was getting somewhere too._

Piandao had certainly seemed responsive. The way he'd looked at her as they'd bantered back and forth, the gleam in his eye, and the color in his cheeks, the little smile on his lips...

She hadn't meant to flirt with him, especially at a time like this, but there had been a moment in the hallway, when he'd pushed her into an alcove. His warm, muscular body had covered hers, and the look on his face as he'd leaned in toward her, for just a moment...

She'd been so sure that he was about to kiss her. She'd felt it in her bones, in her gut. In her madly pounding heart. If he'd leaned in just an inch, she may even have broken, closed the distance between them and kissed him herself.

And that was madness, pure and simple madness.

Piandao had backed off, practically running from her. She thought maybe he'd seen the intent in her eyes. But that moment had opened a door in her, a door that she didn't want to close. She couldn't help flirting with him.

She wanted to flirt with him. She wanted to do a lot more than that.

And she'd ruined it, whatever that moment had been, she'd totally ruined it by her own stupid hormonal impulses. Hung had spilled the beans on their little makeout session this morning.

Tam hadn't missed the look in Piandao's eyes. How could she. She'd seen hurt there, for a split second before a calm mask had come down over Pi's face. She'd heard his voice though, when he'd asked Hung if he had kissed her.

He was hurt. She had hurt him.

What must he think of her?

But she couldn't ask, not with Hung standing there, and with her heart in her toes. She couldn't even speak, staring at Piandao as he tore his gaze away from her.

" _Shit_ ," Hung said, whistling appreciatively. "I leave for an hour and now the Caldera guards are in on it? I'll tell you now, I never liked Viz. He's an autocratic bastard, and he's not bright. But he's good at what he does."

"Like framing one of my best friends for murder?" Tam said.

"At least Lio is on our side," Hung said carefully, still glancing between the two of them. "That's one less person we have to worry about killing you. Or the Seneschal. Which, by the way, any news?"

"None yet. She's in the healing ward. I need to go check on her," Piandao said, and glanced back at Tam. His jaw was hard. "I need you to stay here with Tamarind. Don't let anyone into the suite."

"I don't need protection," Tam said hotly, stepping forward.

"I know that," Piandao said, and his eyes met hers for one white-hot moment. Then he looked away again, his face on the floor. "I just need to know you're safe."

"I need to know you're safe too! The real killer is still on the loose, and they have a thing for the Council! It's not safe out there, Pi. Especially not after you practically told the Grand Sage to go fuck himself!"

But Piandao ignored her, going for the door. "Stay here, Tamarind. I'll be back soon. Hung, stay with her. Don't let her leave. That's an order."

"Pi!" Tam said, charging across the room, but Piandao had already left, slamming the door shut behind him. Hung stepped in front of the door, facing her with his back against it. He threw the lock tightly and she pulled up short in front of him. " _Move_. You know he's not safe."

"I know it would take an army to bring that man down. He's the last person I'm worried about right now," Hung snorted, crossing his arms over his chest.

"I can move you, you know."

"And do what? Run after him? You're a wanted criminal. I passed three groups of guards who were tossing rooms looking for you. You're safe where you're at, Tam. Use your brain," Hung said, uncrossing his arms and grasping her shoulders. "And not your damned hormones."

She reacted like he'd slapped her, breaking his hold on her shoulders and stepping back from him. She glared with all of her might, nostrils flaring, bristling with barely concealed rage.

"My hormones? Excuse me?"

"Don't think I didn't miss whatever the hell kind of tension that was when I walked in, Tam. I saw the look on his face, _both_ of your faces, when I told him you and I made out this morning. You looked like I'd shot you!" Hung said, and there was hurt in his eyes, but his mouth was grim beneath his neatly trimmed beard.

"That's so beside the point," she started, but then wheeled on him again. "And what a coincidence, you just happened to drop that little juicy nugget into the conversation the first freaking opportunity you got!"

"I didn't realize that he didn't know. I naively assumed you'd told him about it. I guess that was pretty stupid of me. You were clearly planning on him never finding out."

Tam winced again; she really had hoped that Piandao would never find out she'd kissed Hung that morning at the crime scene. She hadn't wanted to ruin things.

But what was she ruining, exactly? That was the problem, she didn't know. Piandao's hot and cold reactions to her were confusing. Just when she thought she was getting somewhere, he buttoned up again. Like in the hallway, and then, when Hung had arrived and spilled the beans.

"It's not like that," she said. "And what were you trying to do? Rub it into his face? Mark your territory?"

"Do I have to?" he countered, throwing up his hands. "Were you planning on kissing him too, and playing both of us?"

She stilled, biting down on her tongue. "I don't know... I didn't have a plan."

"Clearly not," Hung said. "Look, I like you. Obviously, I _really_ like you. I thought you liked me too. And I know you have a thing for him. Don't deny it, it's glaringly obvious."

"Hung..."

"I know that we only just kissed, and we barely know each other. I'm not looking to make this exclusive or anything, but just be upfront with me. You owe me that."

Tam felt small and wounded, and she knew she had no right to feel that way. Hung was right. She had no right to kiss him and then turn around and try to do...whatever...with Piandao.

And that was the problem, wasn't it? It was always her problem. She was flighty, flirty, and had trouble committing. She always had. She got bored easily and moved onto the next man in line, hoping to find greener grass and more fulfillment elsewhere.

Even when she had feelings for someone, even when she had been in love, she always found a way to screw it up. Ty Lee and Suki had teased her about it, but they were right. She'd ruined perfectly good relationships time and again by doing exactly what she'd done today. She couldn't help herself sometimes.

Mostly she just blamed her stupid hormones. Hung had nailed her on that too.

She let her body make her decisions more often than not, and not her head, and certainly not her heart. Her body was a liar, and led her into situations she might have avoided if she'd been born with even just a lick of common sense, or self-awareness. Hadn't her father always told her that, with exasperation in his voice? 

And yet even when she was aware of her own self-sabotaging, she couldn't stop herself from doing it when the temptation was too great. Like now.

_But what exactly am I sabotaging? This thing with Hung, or any chance I have with Piandao? If I even have a chance with him at all?_

She wasn't sure which, and that was yet another problem she was ill-equipped to deal with.

"I wasn't trying to hurt you, Hung. I do like you, I just... I like him too. Not that that matters. It's not like he feels the same way."

"Well, that's bullshit," Hung sighed. When she turned on him, brows drawn up, his shoulders dropped as he looked up at the ceiling, blowing out a breath at the same time. "Agni, help me, I can't believe I'm about to say this... _Look._ That man is tripping all over himself over you, Tam. Did you see the look he gave me when he found I kissed you? I thought he was going to rip my heart out of my chest and show it to me."

"So he likes me?"

"Yeah," Hung sighed again. "Duh. He thinks you're hot, and you keep giving him the big eyes and the sexy lips and throwing everything you got at him.. I should know, because you keep doing the same damned thing to me!"

Tam winced. "Hung..."

Hung held up his hand. "You don't have to apologize. If you want him, then I'm not going to stand in the way of that. But if you want me, I'm down. I am more than down, Tam. I really, really like you. I just don't want to be strung along."

Tam smiled a little. "I like you too, Hung."

"And you like him."

"Yeah," she said, her face screwing up. "I can't help it. You see, I do this thing... I tend to screw things up, relationship-wise. I always do. For instance, I have a great guy standing in front of me right now. He's handsome, funny, and he just told me if I wanted to go after another man he wouldn't get mad about it. My panties should be on the ground right now, if I had any damned sense. But I just know I'm going to fuck things up royally. I won't even mean to. But I will."

Hung grinned. "Oh, I didn't say I wouldn't be mad if you went after Piandao. I'd be furious. Honestly, it may come to blows."

"Are you fighting me or Piandao in this scenario?"

"It's a three-way fight. Or maybe just a three-way...? I've always thought that love triangles would solve themselves if everyone would just realize the bed is big enough for three."

Tam's mouth opened, her face going red instantly as Hung's teasing words worked on her like a lightning blast straight to her already overtaxed hormones. "Well, now that's a mental image..."

"It might be fun. You, me, and the senior citizen rolling around getting sweaty..."

"He's not a senior citizen!" Tam said, stamping her foot, but she couldn't help the laugh that bubbled out of her. "And I really don't think he'd be down for that."

"He might be? He's not married. No kids. Rich as hell. Good-looking man like that... You gotta wonder why he never got married. Someone should have snapped that up. I'm just saying... He could be into it," Hung said seriously, though his eyes were gleaming. "Of course, he might fall madly in love with me and our throuple could become a couple. Poor lonely spinster Tamarind, who would warm her bed after that? You'd never get over us."

"You think you're so funny!"

" _I'm gonna steal your ma-an_..." Hung sang in a sing-song voice, and she reached out, smacking his shoulder. He laughed, batting her hand away.

"You are an idiot!"

"Hey, I'm like fifty-five percent serious about this, you know. I've seen him with his shirt off," Hung grinned. "I get the hype."

"Shut up!" Tam laughed, slapping at him again, but he caught her hand in his own, pulling her closer. She looked up at him, giggling, feeling warm. "You are so bad."

"Oh, you have no idea how bad I am, Tam," Hung said, his voice pitching low, a seductive lilt in it that was unmistakable. It worked on her. Oh boy, did it work on her. He leaned in and her laugh died in her throat. She hitched in a breath, her eyes flicking to his mouth and back to his eyes. "You want to find out?"

The answer was yes, but that was her stupid hormonal body talking again, leading her right back into trouble.

"Tempting," she whispered, and put her hands on his shoulders, pushing herself away from him half a step. " _Very_ tempting. But I think I've made enough decisions with my vagina today. I need to get my head on straight before I do anymore kissing. No matter how cute I think you are."

"I'll take that as a win and a rain check for another time, then. No pressure. I meant what I said," Hung said, taking her hand. He lifted it to his mouth and kissed the backs of her fingers. "Figure your shit out, Tam. And if you do, then... Well, I did make some pretty big orgasm-related promises this morning. The offer on that still stands."

"I'll keep that in mind."

"And tell Piandao that I'm down to share if he is. How big is his bed, by the way? If it's not big enough then I take back everything I said. I need room to stretch out," Hung said, charging toward the bedroom door. She caught his hand and yanked him back, just as a knock landed on the door.

The two of them immediately whipped around to face it, and Hung pulled the sword belted at his hip. He glanced at her and then gestured toward the bedroom door.

Tam hesitated, and then went into the bedroom, cracking the door open just a tiny bit so that she could watch him answering the door. Hung went over to the door carefully, his footsteps light, his face a mask of concentration. He glanced at the bedroom, as another knock landed on the door.

"Who is it?"

Tam couldn't hear the reply from within the bedroom, but Hung reached for the handle, and swung the door open. He still had his sword out, but he hid it behind the door. Tam watched a man in a servant's uniform pushed a laden cart full of food into Piandao's suite. He bowed at Hung and then backed out of the suite as unobtrusively as possible.

Hung closed and locked the door behind him, and put his sword back into his sheath. Tam came back out of the bedroom, taking a hearty sniff of the air.

" _Food_ ," she said with lust in her voice, realizing that she hadn't eaten a thing all day. Breakfast had been preempted by Lady Lian's murder, and lunch had gone the same way. Her stomach gave a loud rumble, as she lifted the silver dome over a plate of stir-fry, red noodles, some kind of soup that smelled like onions and heaven, and piles of fruit, cheese, and a big loaf of the herb-crusted bread the palace cooks were so good at making. There was also tea and glasses of water, a plate of little cakes that looked too cute to eat. 

She grabbed the bread and tore off a hunk, shoving into her mouth and chewing loudly, while Hung's brows climbed.

"Hungry?"

"Shhtarved," she said around her mouthful of bread, and then stuffed in a cube of salty cheese to go along with it. She grabbed one of the plates, piling it high with as much food as she could, and then sat down on the edge of a table in the corner, her legs crossed beneath her. She moaned as she took a bite, tucking in immediately.

Hung was picking at the food, watching her with amusement as she practically inhaled her dinner, moaning with each bite.

"Are you eating it or having sex with it? Forget Piandao, my competition is clearly bread," Hung said teasingly,

"Mmm... Who needs men when you can have _food?"_ she said as she took another huge bite and swallowed loudly.

"Fuck. I guess that answers the swallow question."

She choked, coughing around her mouthful of bread. Hung thumped her on the back, laughing as tears streamed down her face. She put her plate down beside her on the table, while Hung poured her a glass of cold water and pressed it into her hands.

"Not funny!" she croaked, wiping at the tears on her face and then tossing back half of the glass. As she did, the door opened a crack, and Piandao stepped inside the suite. She stilled immediately, as Hung turned to face him. Piandao looked between them, though he didn't meet her eyes. "Pi! You're back! That didn't take long. Did you see Suki? How is she?"

"No," Piandao said, his arms clasped behind his back, looking between the two of them. She hastily wiped at her mouth, sure that she had food smeared there. "She was resting. The Grand Sage's guards wouldn't let me speak to her, but Nam-Kyu told me that she is doing well."

"The baby? Is it okay?"

"The what?" Hung said, brows lifting with surprise. Tam realized then that he hadn't heard yet, though she imagined it would be all over the palace by morning.

"The Seneschal is pregnant," Piandao said. "Although I am sure she would prefer that information be kept private, I think the cat is out of the bag, as they say. Nam-Kyu told me she is going to keep her in the ward for observation. I think it may be a ploy to keep Suki out of the dungeons. Whatever the case, it is working for now."

Tam relaxed a little, some of the fear and worry for Suki that she'd been trying not to think about or feel loosening. Just a little. Piandao had told her all about what Bai had done to her. Tam was already formulating plans to pay Bai back for what he had done to her. She had never liked Bai, though she couldn't quite say why.

He was good at what he did, but was so was mildew and you didn't let that hang around.

"So what do we do?" Tam asked Piandao, as he came over and took a piece of fruit off of the cart. He chewed silently for a moment, still not looking at her. She noticed that he'd been avoiding doing that since he'd come into the suite.

After her conversation with Hung, she wasn't surprised that he couldn't look at her. If Hung had been reading Piandao the way she had been, then that meant he liked her. How much, she didn't know, but at least she hadn't imagined the tension between them.

That meant things weren't nearly as hopeless as she'd assumed they were.

But did she want to pursue him...or Hung?

Hung had left it open for her to decide, and who knew how Piandao felt now that he knew she and Hung had kissed. She might have ruined it before anything could have happened. That thought hit her like a punch in the guts.

"We're not likely to find out anything tonight. We do have our two suspects, Viz and the man who helped him plant the evidence. Tomorrow, I want you to follow Viz, Hung."

Hung looked startled, putting down a hunk of half-eaten bread. "What do you want me to tell him?"

"Tell him you work for me, and that I'm interested in the investigation into Lady Lian's murder. Shadow him. Don't let him out of your sight. Look for anything suspicious. Watch the men around him. Tam said the other man was wearing a palace guards uniform, but that could have been a disguise."

"Okay. What will you and Tam be doing? She can't exactly wander around the palace. The search for her is only going to grow."

"We'll handle that as it comes. I'll try to see Suki again tomorrow, and I need to speak to the Grand Sage. Zuko is gone, Suki is being framed for murder... I can't let the Grand Sage seize power. I have to know what he's doing. Tamarind... I want you to stay safe, here in my suite."

"Like hell," Tam snorted as she hopped off of the table. "I'm going with you to see Suki. End of story."

"And just how are you going to do that?" Piandao said, looking at her for the first time. Their gazes met, green to gray. She felt a tingle go through her body, from head to toe and back again.

"I just need a guard's uniform. You're supposed to have a security detail. If Hung is shadowing Viz, then you need someone I can trust at your back. I trust me."

"You'll be recognized," he said quellingly.

"No, I won't. Not in a guard's uniform, I won't be. No one even looks at the guards in the face. Or any of the servants, but a servant wouldn't be following Councilman Piandao. A guard would be."

"She's right. No one ever looks me in the face. People see the uniform and their eyes slide right past me. This could work," Hung said.

"You need me," Tam argued, because Piandao's face was thunderous.

"No. It's too dangerous."

"I'm not asking," Tam said, walking forward and jabbing Piandao in the chest. "It's my job to protect Suki, and she's all alone. I'm not leaving her there. And I'm not letting you run around the palace while someone is out here bumping off Council members. I'm going. Deal with it, Pi."

Piandao sighed. "I see I can't talk you out of it."

"Nope."

"You are quite stubborn."

"The term is _pain in the ass_ ," Hung spoke up.

Piandao glanced at him and then said grimly, "Fine. Hung can you bring a spare uniform for Tamarind in the morning?"

"My roommate should have something that will fit her," Hung said. "I'll bring it at dawn."

"Good. Then we'll see you back here at first light, Hung. You are dismissed," Piandao said, his voice a little hard. Hung frowned, glancing at Tam. Then he put one fist over his heart and bowed at Piandao.

"Yes, Councilman. Tam. Remember what I said," he said, bowing shortly to her. She nodded at him, and watched as he walked to the door and left.

The moment he was gone, the tension in the room ramped up, instead of dissipating. She glanced at Piandao, but he was picking at the food, his back turned on her.

"Pi..." she started, but he put the dome back on the tray with a clatter.

"I think we should get some rest. It's been a trying day. The bedroom is yours."

"Pi, I... I think we should t—"

" _Goodnight,_ Tamarind," Piandao said, and he marched over to the window, staring out into the darkened gardens and courtyard, dismissing her as effectively as he had dismissed Hung just moments earlier. Tam wanted to go over to him, to explain everything.

She knew that he was hurt, but she didn't know how to make it better. She didn't know how to explain, not to him. She had a feeling she'd only make it worse.

She sighed, and turned her back on him, slinking into the bedroom.

The door closed behind her with bang.


	11. Piandao

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Takes place before chapters 48 - 51 of With Or Without You.

Piandao paced the living room of his suite, hands clasped behind his back, his bare feet quiet on the thick carpet. He kept stealing glances at the closed bedroom door, a pain in his chest that wouldn't go away.

Try as he might, he couldn't stop his mind from slinging mental images of Hung kissing Tamarind at him. The images tortured him. She had kissed Hung. All the while he'd been making a fool of himself, despite the fact that he'd been trying to talk himself down, he had still hoped... _wanted_...

He'd thought she'd been flirting with him before Hung had shown up this evening. He was sure she had been, but clearly he had read the situation completely wrong. Tamarind was a flirt. He already knew that. She'd just been teasing him, or maybe she hadn't realized how he would take it, that he would think she was serious... That he might think that she wanted him as much he wanted her...

There was a lump in his throat. She had kissed Hung. She didn't want him. She never had, and he was...

"I'm a fool," Piandao whispered, pacing the suite. "An old fool who should know better."

How many times had he tried to talk himself out of his feelings for her? And he'd still fallen. He'd still made an idiot of himself. Of course, she wasn't interested in him. Why would she be? Hung was young and handsome, and he, Piandao, was... None of those things. It was inappropriate. She was too young for him. He knew that. He knew it too well.

He had no right to feel this way.

And yet...

Piandao rubbed at his forehead, glancing at the door again. Tamarind had gone to bed an hour and a half ago. He hadn't heard much from her since then. All was quiet in his suite, but it was a riot in his head, and in his screaming, shattered heart. It felt hot in his suite, too warm to be pacing.

Feeling trapped, sweat sliding down his back, he took off his vest and tossed it onto the chair. The air felt cooler on his bare chest, but he kept pacing, unable to stay still.

He didn't know what to do, how to feel. It had been a long time since he'd felt this way about anyone. He thought he'd turned off this part of himself, grown past it, and yet here he was. A mess.

"I'll just have to get over it," he told himself. "Treat her like... Like a niece, or one of my pupils."

That was it. He'd just maintain some distance. No more flirting. No more falling for the seductive little looks, or her suggestive comments. She didn't mean them, after all. And she had kissed Hung. He would just pretend like... Like he wasn't completely falling apart inside.

Easy.

He could do that. How hard could it be?

"Pi? Are you awake? I... Oh. _Wow..._ "

He whipped around to face the bedroom door as it opened, his heart in his throat. Tamarind stopped, spotting him in the middle of her room. Her long hair was down, tangled across one shoulder. She was still wearing the robe he'd given her earlier, and the black color complimented her. She looked beautiful, barefoot and sleep-tousled, and wearing his clothing. Her eyes tracked down his bare chest and then back to his face, a blush rising in her cheeks.

All of his arguments, his resolve, flew out of his head the moment he saw her. It was like someone had punched him in the gut. A bad desire rose in him, to sweep across the room and pull her into his arms, to kiss her until he couldn't breathe. Until she was his. Forever.

He licked his lips, the urge too strong to resist for a moment. He started forward a step and then halted, letting out a breath. Something about the look in Tamarind's eyes made him sure that she had seen... _something_...on his face. Her teeth dug into her bottom lip as she closed the bedroom door behind her.

"Yes... Did you need something?"

Tam's fingers clawed at her thick mane of hair, and she looked at him in the soft candlelight, shrugging. "No, I just... I can't sleep. I keep thinking about Suki and...and I'm worried about... Well, _everything_. Is that why you're still awake?"

Guilt chased his thoughts immediately. Here he was agonizing over his stupid heart when there were other things that were more important, more pressing. He was worried about the Seneschal, but his heart was calling the shots tonight.

"Uhh... Yes. Yes, I was just thinking about Viz and the Grand Sage," he said, as Tam walked toward him. "I'm afraid of what this all means. I don't know why they would try to frame Suki."

But Tamarind snorted, a sound that shouldn't have made his heart constrict, but did anyway.

"It's because she's marrying Zuko. You said it yourself, prejudice runs deep in the Fire Nation, even now. The Fire Lord marrying someone from the Earth Kingdom is bound to anger more than a few people. Maybe Viz is one of those people?"

"But I don't believe Viz is acting alone. And I'm not talking about the man you saw giving him the evidence to plant. Viz doesn't strike me as the person who could have orchestrated this."

"No," Tam said, shaking her head. She was still playing with her hair, twirling it around her fingers. Her eyes were far away, her lips screwed up. "But if I was going to massacre an entire household, I think I'd definitely want the Caldera guard in on it. Or at least their Captain. Even if Viz isn't our mastermind, I think it's pretty clear that he had something to do with Lady Lian."

"You think he's one of the killers?"

"Probably. Suki said she thought it was more than one. I agree. It was probably him and this other man I saw. I wish I'd seen his face."

Piandao crossed the room and sat heavily onto the sofa, feeling exhausted. It was late, and he'd had a very long day. It seemed like months had passed since he'd woken up from that dream...

His eyes lifted to Tamarind as he remembered little snatches of the dream. His heart ached.

 _It was just a fantasy_ , he told himself, as Tam sat down beside him, her legs drawing up as she half-turned to face him. She put one crooked arm up on the back of the sofa, and rested her head on the heel of her palm. His eyes traced her face, willingly, and he found himself counting the freckles sprinkled across her nose.

He stopped himself; he was staring and he knew it, but being this close to her was painful. He wondered if she knew it. He wondered if she realized how he felt, what she could do to him with just a smile.

Maybe she knew and didn't care.

Maybe she'd be disgusted.

Maybe she'd laugh at him.

He looked away, down at the scarred hands clasped in his lap.

"We'll find him. Hung will follow Viz tomorrow, and you and I... We'll go see Suki. And after that... After that I need to find out what the Grand Sage intends to do. I don't trust that man. I never have," he said, trying to distract himself.

"I don't know him very well," Tam said thoughtfully. "But a couple of weeks ago Zuko and Suki went down to the Fire Sage Temple to speak to him, and he... He said something pretty awful things to Suki. About Suki, really. And he refused to let them get married in the Temple."

Piandao blinked in shock. "Luzhuo refused to marry Fire Lord Zuko? Why?"

"His argument was that Suki wasn't a virgin, and so it would be blasphemous to marry in the Temple. Or whatever," she said, shaking her head. "He basically called her a whore. To her face. With Zuko sitting right there. Zuko was pretty angry. I think Suki was hurt, but she laughed it off."

"I knew they'd decided to have the wedding in the throne room, but I didn't think to ask why. He called her that in front of Zuko?"

"Yeah, and he's lucky Zuko didn't light him on fire. I kind of thought he might go back into the Temple and have a barbecue, but Suki talked him down."

Piandao didn't like the sound of that. The Grand Sage openly defying the Fire Lord, to his face, could only mean trouble. And now Zuko was gone, right before the wedding, and here Suki was, framed for murder... And the Grand Sage had mysteriously shown up to take over as Steward before they'd even found out that Zuko had been kidnapped. It didn't sit right with him at all.

"The Fire Sages haven't kept up the old traditions regarding purity in a very long time," he mused. "It seems a flimsy excuse."

"That's what Zuko said," she said, and made a face. "Stupid virginity crap. According to the Grand Sage my blasphemous ass should have probably burst into flames just walking into the Temple."

His lips twitched. "Really? How blasphemous?"

She shot him a grin that was all wicked intent. "Wouldn't you like to know?"

She was flirting again. He looked away, not willing to fall for it again. She didn't mean it, after all. She was just...Tamarind. 

"The Grand Sage opposes the marriage. That's a motive."

"Seems like that's going around a lot. But that makes the Grand Sage suspect number one, doesn't it? And he just showed up to take over today? Before we even knew Zuko was missing? _Come on_."

He glanced at her, and then nodded. "I was thinking the same thing."

"You said you don't like him. May I ask why?"

Piandao glanced at her and then back down at his hands. He felt phantom pains in his back, memories of long ago washing over him. His eyes closed, and he remembered the sound of a whipcrack, rain pouring down face, blood pooling before him, and white-hot pain in his back...

"Luzhuo and I go back some years. Long before he became Grand Sage, he... He was the head of a Temple near the village where I grew up. We have a history."

Her brows rose a little. "What kind of history?"

He looked at her for a long moment, wondering if he should tell her or not. He hadn't told this story to anyone for a very long time. The story was mostly common knowledge, he knew, and people still whispered about him, the traitor to the Fire Nation. Living as he had on his isolated estate, rarely taking on students, he had been able to live a quiet life, free of public scrutiny. People had almost forgotten about his past.

But, accepting the position on Zuko's council had meant that those things had been dredged up from his past, and held against him. There were many who didn't trust him, still. Once a traitor, they said, always a traitor. He tried to ignore it. Zuko didn't care about his past, and it was only Zuko's opinion that mattered.

Zuko...and hers. He glanced at Tamarind again, and then away.

He had made his choices. He didn't regret what he'd done. He only regretted trusting the wrong woman, giving his heart away to someone who had ripped it to pieces, and left him bleeding in the rain, lashed to a whipping post. She had called him a traitor, but he had been so much more than that.

He had been a fool.

 _And I'm still a fool,_ he thought, looking up into Tam's green eyes.

He licked his lips, looking away again. "It's a long story."

"I have the time," she said gently.

"Are you thirsty?" he asked, feeling unsettled.

"Oh, you have no idea how much," Tamarind replied, the corners of her lips curling up into that same smile that had undone him in the corridor earlier that night. His throat constricted and he felt that mad ruse of desire go through him again. Despite everything, despite knowing that she had kissed Hung, that she obviously didn't want him the way that he wanted her, that she didn't even know what she was doing to him, his attraction to her hadn't diminished at all.

_Damn..._

"I have tea. Water. Fireberry wine," he said, getting up and walked away from her, his hands shaking with the desire that was climbing up through his skin. If he hadn't gotten up, who knew what he might have done.

Something stupid. Something bad.

"Wine sounds good," she said, as he went over to the cupboard in the corner of the room. He pulled out some glasses and a bottle of last summer's fireberry wine. He could feel her eyes on him while he screwed out the cork with a pop. He was lost in his thoughts, pouring wine, and didn't realize she had gotten off of the sofa until he felt her hand on his bare back.

He jumped at her touch, turning his head and meeting her eye. Tam looked at him, and then he felt her finger trace along one of the scars on his back, gently...smoothing her finger over the rough skin.

No one had ever touched the scars on his back.

"How did you get these, Pi?" she asked, as he put down the bottle and turned around to face her. She didn't pull her hand back, but settled it on his chest. "Who would do that to you?"

"Luzhuo did that to me," he said softly, lifting his hand and putting it over hers on his chest. "Thirty lashes for deserting my post. Ten lashes for resisting arrest. And ten lashes for spitting in Luzhuo's face when he asked me to swear my allegiance to Fire Lord Azulon."

"Fifty lashes?" He couldn't miss the horror in her eyes, the worry, and disgust. "That could have killed you."

"It nearly did," he said, squeezing her fingers and then dropping her hand. He turned his back on her again, reaching for the bottle of wine. "And I was branded a traitor from that day on. They left me alone only because they feared me."

"I want to ask what happened, but if it's too painful... I understand."

"The story is common knowledge. Though I doubt many people know that Luzhuo, who is now the Grand Sage, was the Sage that meted out my punishment."

"I knew he was a bastard."

He handed her a cup of wine, and then gestured to the sofa again. "Do you know the story?"

"I know you fought off a hundred men at once. And won. And that's why they were afraid of you." She blushed, as they took a seat on the sofa again. She curled her legs up, taking a sip of the wine. He sat down next to her again, sighing. The wine was warm in his mouth, the sweetness and heat of the fireberries tart on his tongue. She was watching him, her gaze soft. "That's all I really know. I honestly don't know much about you, Piandao. I'd like to."

He looked at her and couldn't look away again.

"I'd like to know more about you, too," he said, and hoped that his stupid heart wasn't in his eyes.

_She kissed Hung. She doesn't want you. She's just being kind._

"Me? Not much to say. I was born on Kyoshi, joined the Warriors when I was eight, and well. Here I am. Pretty boring."

"I don't think anyone would describe you as boring, Tamarind."

"No, they'd probably call me something a lot less flattering," she said, her eyes twinkling with amusement as she took another drink of her wine. "A few ex-boyfriends would definitely call me a thing or two."

"And you have a lot of ex-boyfriends?"

Her lips twisted. "Blasphemous, remember? And what about you? You said you don't... Sample. But, surely you've had a few girlfriends. Or boyfriends?"

He laughed a little, at the question in her eyes. "No, no boyfriends. Or girlfriends. But...I was engaged once," he said, surprising himself. Tam's brows rose. "Things with her... They were complicated. It didn't work out."

"Why not?"

He looked at her hard. "It has to do with... With what happened."

Her eyes flicked to the scar that curled over his shoulder, shining whitely against his dark skin. She looked back into his eyes.

"Oh."

"I told you, it's a long story. And it's not a happy one, Tamarind."

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to," she said quickly, but he shook his head, rubbing a hand across his beard.

"It's no secret. I just haven't told it to anyone in a long time. It's still... Painful."

"Pi..."

She reached out and touched his hand, and he found himself folding his fingers around hers. Touching her was dangerous; it shot little jolts of electricity along his skin and made his throat feel tight. That mad desire came upon him again, and when he met her steady gaze, he felt like he'd forgotten his own name. Her touch was warm and reassuring, as if she knew the pain he felt, and how hard it was for him to speak about it, even now.

He found his voice with difficulty, still holding her hand in his own, his wine resting on his knee. He couldn't look at her though, staring at the carpet instead. The words came out of him like poison.

"I betrayed my nation, Tamarind. I abandoned my men, my post. Everything I was taught to believe in. When I deserted, I came back to my village. They came for me though, a hundred soldiers strong. I fought them off, all of them. But I was wounded in the fight and I..." he said, remembering things that were far too painful, wondering why he was telling her. And why it felt so easy to say these things to her, when he hadn't even been able to say the words to his own father, to explain why he had done what he'd done.

His father had rejected him when he'd shown up on his doorstep, bleeding, his back a mess, bedraggled, sick with fever. His father had called him a traitor and slammed the door in his face. They had never spoken again.

"What happened?" she whispered, her voice soft with worry.

"I was engaged to a woman named Hotaru. She was... Beautiful. And she knew it. The men of our village all chased her, but only I managed to capture her. I was young and stupid and mad with lust. I would have done anything for her."

He pulled in a breath and then looked away from her. His eyes drifted closed, remembering that rainy night when he'd stumbled to Hotaru's door. She'd pulled him into her home, nursed his wounds from the fight with the soldiers. They'd made love.

And in the morning he'd woken up to a sword at his throat.

"I told her I had deserted, that I'd fought off the soldiers. I thought... I thought it wouldn't matter to her. But she betrayed me. Turned me in."

"Oh, Pi..." Tam breathed, her thumb rubbing across the back of hand. "I'm so sorry."

But he shook his head. "She did what she felt was right, Tamarind. I put her whole future in jeopardy. She would have been branded a traitor too. Turning me in kept her free of that taint. I wasn't angry with her."

Heartbroken, hurt too deeply to ever trust again, but never angry. The damnable part had always been that he'd understood what Hotaru had done. It didn't make it hurt any less. He also hadn't been able to hide his pain in a place of anger. Blaming her might have made things easier, but he couldn't. That made the pain all the more raw, because the only person he could blame for his broken heart had been himself.

And yet he didn't regret it, betraying his Nation, deserting the Army.

Not after what he'd seen, what he'd been made to cover up. He had done the right thing, and so had Hotaru.

That didn't make his heart any less broken.

"I wouldn't have turned you in," Tam said, surprising him. There was conviction in her voice, a hard edge there that was as wicked as a blade. "She was weak. Scared. And she didn't know you very well if she thought you were betraying anything."

"But I did betray the Fire Nation, Tamarind. I deserted my post, my men. I'm very lucky all they did was give me fifty lashes. They could have hung me for treason."

That thought clearly disturbed her, because she made a soft sound, her brows drawing up in the middle. "I'm glad they didn't, Pi. We would never have met."

His heart skipped a beat, settled, and then skipped another beat. He felt heat rush into his face.

"No, we wouldn't."

"I don't even think I was born yet," she said, taking a drink.

That thought sobered him immediately. It was like ice water down his back.

"No. I suppose not," he said in a ragged voice, reality filtering back to him. "You are very young."

"I'm a grown woman, Pi. I'm old enough to know what I want."

He stilled, looking at her. Tam was watching him, her cheeks red from the wine, or maybe something else. He took a breath, telling himself not to chase that rabbiroo down the hole, but he couldn't stop himself. "And what do you want?"

"You can't tell?" she said, and her thumb rubbed across his hand.

"You kissed him," Piandao said, the words shooting out of his mouth before he could stop them. He met Tam's gaze and held it, his blood pounding in his ears.

She looked at him and then bit her lip, looking away. "Yeah, I did."

"He's a fine young man," he said stiffly, because he didn't trust himself to say anything else.

"He is. I like him. But you see, I do this thing where I make stupid decisions in the moment, without thinking about the consequences. And I hurt people sometimes. I don't mean to, but I do. I like Hung. I don't go around kissing men I don't like, but I just don't know if he's right for me."

"And why not?"

"Because I can't get this other guy out of my head. I really, really like him, but he's hard to read. We flirt, and I think it's going somewhere, but then he pulls back. But sometimes he gives me these looks..."

Piandao stared into her eyes again. "What kind of looks?"

"Like he wants me as much as I want him," she said softly, and put her wine down on the table. "I want him to know that it's mutual."

He swallowed. She couldn't mean it... But she was looking at him the same way she had in the hallway, with that knowing smile and those soft, hooded eyes.

"You do?"

"Mmm-hmm. I keep wondering what he'd do if I kissed him."

"Oh."

She leaned in, her eyes soft, her wine-reddened lips open. The mad rush of desire came upon him, full-on, and he nearly broke. He wanted to kiss her, grab her by her long fall of hair, and pull her into his lap, twist his fingers in it and take her. He wanted to end his torture, slake his thirst...

Make her his.

Forever.

"Pi..."

He stopped himself, swallowing hard. He turned his eyes away from her and then stood, knocking back the rest of his wine. He walked a few feet away, breathing hard. His pulse was roaring in his ears and he was aware of how hard he was breathing.

"Pi? Are you okay?"

He was fine. She had only just told him that she wanted him as much as he wanted her. He should be over the moon. He should have had her undressed and in his bed by now. But he couldn't.

"Yes. I... I, it's late. You should try to get some rest, Tamarind."

"Pi..."

He turned to face her, and he saw that she was looking up at him, hurt in her eyes. And also questions.

"Tamarind, I..."

She stood, and came over to him. He couldn't move away, not that he wanted to. She touched his chest and looked into his eyes.

"I've made a lot of mistakes in the past, Piandao. I don't want to make any more, and I definitely don't want to hurt anyone. Especially not someone I really care for. I just want you to know that. And I wanted you to know how I felt, in case you were wondering."

He didn't know what to say. She was offering him his wildest fantasy on a platter. And he was frozen. Maybe she could see the panic in his eyes, because she smiled softly and lifted up on her toes, landing a kiss to his cheek.

"You don't have to say anything," she said as she pulled back. His face tingled, hot sparks dancing along his skin at the feel of her lips against his skin, no matter how briefly. She smelled... Like wild lavender, and honeysuckle, silk sheets, and carnal things. He wanted to breathe her in, tangle his hands in her hair...never let her go...

And he was frozen.

"Tamarind..."

"Just think about what I said, okay?" she said, walking backward away from him, toward his bedroom door. "Goodnight, Piandao."

"Goodnight, Tamarind," he whispered, his heart thumping like mad.

She gave him one last look, and then closed the door behind her, leaving him standing there feeling like the floor was buckling beneath him. Like his body was melting into a puddle.

He broke, rushing forward toward the bedroom door. His hand reached for the handle, but he stopped, his face screwing up. He put his head against the door and breathed, trying to calm himself down.

If he went into that room, he knew he'd never make himself leave again. He'd sleep with her, he knew that. He would make love to her all night, and in the morning he would do it again, and again, and again...

But she had kissed Hung. She was attracted to Hung, who was more suitable for her in every single way.

She was attracted to him too, but that was all it was. That was all it could be.

She'd eventually realize that he was too old for her, that she should be with someone her own age, someone she could be with, without the gossip and scandal. Someone she could love. Grow old with. It was wrong. Inappropriate. He knew it.

Just as much as he knew, with growing certainty, that he was hopelessly, wildly, stupidly, foolishly in love with her.


	12. Tam

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Takes place before/during/after Chapter 51 of With Or Without You.

“Tamarind...”

She was vaguely aware of a soft voice in her ear, pulling her out of a dream about a purple rhino-lizard, who was yelling at her to leave because his wife had come home unexpectedly. She kept reaching for her clothes, but she couldn't seem to grab them. And when the door burst open, something big and monstrous came running at her.

“Tamarind!”

“Iz not what ya think!” she snorted, ripping out of the dream in an instant. Her head lifted off of the pillow, eyes gummed over with sleep. Blearily she tried to make sense of the world. She was face down in an unfamiliar bed, half of her face wet with drool.

“What's not what I think?”

Reality flooded back to her and she jerked her head in the direction of the familiar voice. She rolled over in Piandao's bed, seeing him standing there beside her, looking freshly shaven and dressed smartly in his signature black clothing. He was holding a beeswax candle, and the soft yellow glow lit up his features.

Her heart immediately squeezed in her chest. She couldn't help it.

She hadn't heard him getting ready, which was unusual enough, but she was pretty sure she had been snoring in her sleep. And he had probably heard her.

She wiped her hand across her mouth, swallowing a mouthful of saliva. Her mouth tasted like sleep.

“Uh...nothing. Weird dream,” she said, glancing at the pillow and seeing a dark spot of drool. “What time is it?”

Piandao glanced at the curtains drawn over the window. “About an hour before dawn. I let you sleep, but I thought you might want to get cleaned up before breakfast. And before Hung brings a uniform for you.”

“Right...yeah...” she said, sitting up and swinging her legs over the side of the bed. “Thanks.”

She was still wearing Piandao's borrowed clothing from yesterday, which was now thoroughly rumbled. She knew she had pillow creases on her face, drool on her chin, and her eyes needed a good rub to get the grit out of them. Her hair was also a tangled mess, half in her face, sticking to her cheek from dried drool.

She looked up at Piandao, who stood back, the candle flame dancing in his dark gray eyes. He looked put together, and she was. Well, she was her usual haphazard self.

_No wonder he left me hanging last night...I have the sex appeal of an elephant koi._

“I must look awful,” she mumbled, unsticking her hair from her face. “Was I snoring?”

Pi's lips twitched a little. “I barely noticed. And you look beautiful.”

Their eyes met and their conversation from the night before rolled over her in a hot wave of want and humiliation. She'd all but put herself out there, told him that she wanted him... And for a moment, just one small moment, she'd been so sure that he was going to kiss her. She'd seen his eyes on her mouth, the blood in his cheeks.

Then. Nothing.

He'd frozen up, gotten off of the couch and told her to go to bed. He'd turned formal on her again.

She'd gone to bed, rejected, feeling wrong-footed again. She knew she'd hurt him by kissing Hung, but now she was worried, after his rejection, that he was angry with her.

She didn't want him to be angry with her.

She wanted...

Well, she thought she'd known last night, but now...

Now they were right back where they'd started, only now she couldn't help but feel awkward. He knew she was interested him. And she thought he felt the same way, but he had done nothing about it.

She didn't know what to do.

“Pi...”

“Everything you need is in the bathing room. I'll get breakfast,” he said, putting the candle down on the bedside table. She watched as he turned on his heel and walked out of the bedroom, closing the door gently behind him.

With him went the air in her lungs. She breathed out a sigh, but not of relief. She just felt...so lost.

It wasn't just the situation with Hung and Piandao, it was everything else, too. She'd been trying very hard not to think of the precarious situation she was in. She was a wanted woman. If the Grand Sage's men found her, she'd be tossed into the dungeons with Ty Lee.

And that would leave Suki unguarded. And Captain Viz and whomever he was working with or for free to do as they pleased. Who knew what they had planned?

She couldn't get caught. And she couldn't stay in Piandao's suite, hiding, while Suki and Ty Lee needed her. Determined to focus on that, instead of letting her thoughts wander back to her turgid and confusing love life, she got out of the bed, grabbed the candle and went into the bathing room.

A quick shower with scalding hot water and sandalwood soap that smelled like Piandao woke her up completely. Her skin was red by the time she got out of the shower and wrapped up in a fluffy red towel. Piandao had left a toothbrush on the sink for her and she scrubbed her mouth out, banishing the sour taste of sleep and the day before.

A knock sounded on the door, and she heard Piandao's voice on the other side a moment later. “Breakfast.”

Her stomach rumbled. She hadn't eaten much yesterday besides some bread and fruit, and she was starving. She didn't have anything to wear, so she came out wrapped in a towel, steam chasing her into Piandao's bedroom.

Piandao had his back to her, rifling through a wardrobe in the corner. “I have a robe you can wear...”

Tam bit down on the inside of her lip. “Thank you.”

He pulled out a black silk robe, not unlike his usual monochromatic wardrobe. He turned to face her and stopped. His brows rose as he saw her standing there in the towel, water dripping down her bare arms.

“I...” he looked a little stunned for a moment, and then swallowed as she walked over to him. She took the robe from his fingers and looked up at him, her lips curling a little. “I'll just... I'll leave you to it.”

“No need,” Tam said, tugging on the towel. She let it drop to the floor at her feet, leaving her naked before him. Piandao sucked in a sharp breath, and his eyes flicked down her body, and then quickly returned to her face, though she knew that he'd seen everything.

She'd never been very body shy before, and had no reason to feel so now. Not when his eyes flashed and she saw the apple of throat bobbing as he swallowed, his dark face growing red.

So much for ignoring her love life. Sometimes she just couldn't help herself.

And besides, seeing the look on his face, after his cold dismissal last night, well... It was a little satisfying to see that wild spark of desire in his eyes. She hadn't imagined it. Whatever reason he'd had last night for pulling away from her, at least she knew it wasn't because he didn't want her. That much was clear.

“Tamarind...” he said tightly. “What are you doing?”

“Sorry, I have a bad habit of dropping wet towels on the floor. Drove my mother crazy as a kid. I'll pick it up. Promise.”

“That's not what I meant.”

“I know.”

“You are...”

“Making you uncomfortable?” she offered, showing the dimples in her cheeks.

“No. Uncomfortable is not exactly the word I would use at the moment...” he said, his voice a little ragged. She reached out and touched his chest and he surged forward, just a few inches. And then he stopped himself. “I should... Tamarind, this isn't...”

But she didn't know what he was going to say, because he stumbled back, looking stricken.

“Pi...”

He turned on his heel and walked out of the room, leaving her standing there, wet and naked, feeling like the world's biggest idiot. She tugged on the robe, her wet hair trailing down her back, and followed him into the living room of the suite, an apology on her lips.

She stopped short, when she saw that Piandao had answered the door. Hung walked in, carrying a wrapped bundle and two swords. He stopped when he saw her belting the robe, his lips twisting unhappily.

“Hey,” Hung said, glancing between them. “You two sleep well?”

She ignored the innuendo in his voice, walking across the room and plopping down unhappily at the table, which was laden with steaming food from the kitchens. She started piling food onto her plate and dug in, burying her suddenly black mood in her favorite coping mechanism: food.

She could feel their eyes on her, but ignored them, sulking into her plate.

 _I shouldn't have done that,_ she thought. _I just freaked him out. Again. And now Hung is here...which is only going to make things even more awkward..._

One of these days she was going to stop making things harder for herself, but obviously today was not that day.

“Did you bring the uniform?” Piandao asked Hung, who sighed.

“Yeah. My roommate should be about your size, Tam. The boots probably won't fit though.”

“What did you tell your roommate? Surely he might notice his uniform is missing,” Piandao asked, as Hung came over to the table and set the bundle on the seat of an empty chair beside her. He put the swords on the table and unwrapped the bundle, showing her the dark red guard's uniform and helmet inside.

“Nah. Trust me, he won't notice. Or miss it,” Hung said with a wave of his hand. He picked up the helmet and looked up at her. “Are you sure about this? I heard at breakfast in the guard's mess hall that the Seneschal is still under guard in the healing ward. No one is going to get at her there.”

“I need to talk to her, and if you think she's safe anywhere in this palace with who-knows-how-many enemies out to get her, then you're dumber than you look,” Tam said waspishly, reaching out and snatching the helmet from his hand.

Hung's eyebrows rose. “You're in a mood. Did I miss something?”

“Shut up,” Tam mumbled. She felt a hand come down on her shoulder, gently. She looked up, and saw Piandao's soft expression.

“She's just worried about the Seneschal. And Fire Lord Zuko,” Piandao said, which was more charitable than she deserved. She _was_ worried about them, but she and Piandao both knew the reason for her sudden mood swing.

“Right,” Hung said, lips pursing. “Well, try not to get killed. And I guess I'll do the same.”

“I'll write out my orders for you. Captain Viz probably won't cooperate, but he might listen to a Councilman's orders,” Piandao said, turning away from them and walking over to his desk. He sat down and started writing, his back to them.

Hung took the opportunity to snag a piece of toast off of her plate, shoving it into his mouth. She could feel his eyes on her and glanced up at him. He was grinning, chewing loudly.

“What?”

“Things not go your way last night.” His eyes flicked toward Piandao meaningfully.

“Shut up.”

Hung bent over, one hand on the back of her chair, the other on the table beside her. His voice dropped to barely a whisper. She glanced at Piandao, but he was still writing at his desk, seemingly ignoring them.

“There's a weird tension between you two. Let me guess, you made your move...and he couldn't get it up.”

“No!” she said loudly, and her hand clapped to her mouth. Hung swallowed his toast and laughed a little, glancing at Piandao, who had stiffened at her outburst. “You don't know what you're talking about. Nothing happened.”

“Because he couldn't get it up?”

“Shut up or I'll maim you, I swear to Kyoshi.”

“Touchy subject, huh?”

Hung's eyebrows rose, as Piandao put down his brush and stood. She didn't know if he'd heard them, but she sincerely hoped not. She couldn't look at him. She stared at her plate, her pulse pounding her ears, thinking of the look on his face in the bedroom just a few minutes ago.

She'd been so sure that he was going to break. He almost had, just for a moment.

And then nothing.

“Here,” Piandao said, rolling up the short note and handing it to Hung. “If he has a problem with my orders, tell him to take it up with me. I'd certainly like to ask him a few questions.”

“Yeah, like why he's trying to frame Suki for murder,” she said.

“I'll try to play this discretely,” Hung said, tucking the scroll into his belt. “I still think you shouldn't go see the Seneschal. You're playing with fire, Tam.”

“Story of my life,” she said, around a mouthful of toasted bread, dripping with butter. “Don't get killed either.”

“Who, me?” Hung said, walking backward toward the door, arms spread wide. “Don't you know I'm too pretty to die, Freckles?”

Tam rolled her eyes, but her lips twitched. He was teasing her, in front of Piandao, goading him. He knew exactly what he was doing. And she knew that he was enjoying it. She was afraid to look at Piandao; his silence said it all. She wondered if he'd heard what Hung had whispered to her a few moments ago. She hoped not.

“Hey, pretty boy, don't forget your sword,” Tam said, jerking her thumb toward one of the swords he'd put on the table beside her plate.

“Nag, nag, nag... Good luck with her today. I think you're going to need it,” Hung said, throwing a grin at Piandao, who didn't share the expression. He sank down into a chair at the table, reaching for the steaming tea kettle. Hung reached for the sword and leaned in toward her ear at the same time. “By the way, my offer still stands. _Tamarind_.”

And he landed a kiss on the top of her head. Tam's face went red and she glanced at Piandao, who had certainly seen him do it. He didn't say anything, pouring his tea, though she saw white streaks in his cheeks as his jaws clenched.

She watched Hung leave, whistling as he went. She let out a breath when the door closed behind him, turning to Piandao.

“Pi, about earlier, and about last night... We should talk.”

“You should get dressed,” Piandao said, getting up from the table and taking his tea with him. He had one hand behind his back, sipping his tea with the other. He went over and stood at the window, and the first rays of dawn broke over his profile.

“Pi!” she said, wiping at her mouth and tossing her napkin down. She stood up with a scrape of her chair. “Look at me!”

Piandao looked at her and she saw a flicker of emotion on his face—an emotion she had no idea how to name—and then he looked away.

“We do need to talk, but not right now. We have much more pressing matters to attend to.”

She started to argue and then stopped herself. He was right and she knew it. Now was not the time, no matter how much her heart was screaming at her. She knew that he was deflecting, maybe even trying to formulate a way to let her down easily.

He wanted her. She knew that he did, but clearly he had more self-control than she did. That was probably a good thing.

“If that's what you want,” she said softly.

“What I want...” he started and then sighed, looking back at the window. “What I want doesn't matter. Please, get dressed, Tamarind. I fear the Seneschal is not safe, even in the healing ward.”

He was right, again. Her worry over Suki redoubled as she scooped up the uniform and sword Hung had brought her. She had her own weapons—her fan and sword, and throwing knives—but she had left everything but her fan in a locked cabinet in Piandao's office yesterday. The sword Hung had brought her was standard issue for the Royal Guard. Her Kyoshi sword was too distinct and would stand out if she wore it.

So would her fan, but she planned to conceal it in her clothing. She would feel naked without it and she knew it.

She got dressed quickly, pulling on the unfamiliar uniform. It was slightly too baggy on her in a few places, but she doubted anyone would notice. The boots didn't fit, though, so she pulled on her own and hoped no one would look at her that closely. She tucked her fan into her waistband and pulled the shirt above it. The sword went into a sheath at her hip.

She managed to twist her hair up into a bun and shoved the helmet down over top of it. It was all she could do. When she reappeared in the living room of the suite, Piandao looked her over appraisingly. The tension between them was still there, but he seemed determined to focus on the task at hand.

“The helmet helps, but if someone recognizes you, we might be in for a fight,” he said heavily.

“Well, I'm in the mood for a good hard... _fight_ ,” she said, smirking. His lips twitched, fighting a smile.

“Stay close to me. Let me do the talking.”

“Of course, Councilman. Lead the way.”

The corridors were full of people, as predicted. It was more than the usual crowd of servants and guards and noblemen though. She knew that they were searching for her, and they passed by several rooms being tossed, guards streaming in and out. None of them so much as looked at her, letting the Councilman and his personal guard pass by unimpeded.

It was not so in the healing ward. The moment they entered, guards stopped them. Tam tried to look intimidating. There were guards at the doors of the ward, blocking them from entering, holding out swords.

“Step aside, I need to speak to the Seneschal.”

“The Grand Sage...uh...Steward is with her now. We have orders not to let anyone in. Not even a Councilman.”

“He doesn't have the authority,” Piandao argued, but Tam wasn't so sure of that. She didn't know exactly what powers Grand Sage Luzhuo had been given by taking up the Stewardship, but she had a feeling he could definitely override Piandao's orders.

It hardly mattered anyway; the guards at the ward doors seemed to _think_ he had the authority and weren't about to let them pass. Together, she knew that she and Piandao could get past them easily, but that would mean a fight. And a fight would call unnecessary attention to themselves.

They had to play along. What other choice did they have?

She stood guard behind Piandao as he stood stock still in front of the doors. He looked like he was meditating, calm and unbothered by being barred from the ward, but Tam knew him well enough now that she could see the signs of anger and worry on his face. The white streaks in his cheeks were back, and his jaw was ticking. One finger was tapping on his wrist.

They didn't have to wait long, however, when the ward door opened and the Grand Sage marched out, looking angry, surrounded by guards.

“Keep that murderous whore confined until further notice. She will pay for what she's done, of that I swear,” Luzhuo spat, and then pulled up short when he spotted Piandao. Tam's stomach dropped, hoping that he didn't look at her, and recognize her. She didn't think the Grand Sage could have picked her out of a lineup, but the possibility was there.

But he didn't look at her all. His eyes narrowed on Piandao, and his lip curled beneath his snow-white beard.

“And what brings you down here, Councilman?”

“I need to speak to the Seneschal. I'm worried about her condition.”

“Worry not,” Luzhuo said. “She's alive, and unfortunately not rotting in the dungeon with her little friend. It seems her health is delicate, and she cannot be moved out of the ward.”

Tam's stomach twisted. Delicate? What did that mean?

“All the more reason to see her.”

“You have nothing to discuss with her. She may be in the ward and not the dungeon, but she is a prisoner. The evidence against her is overwhelming. I'll be holding a trial at the end of the week. She'll burn, Piandao. Just like a traitor deserves.”

Tam glared at the Grand Sage, remembering all too well what Piandao had told her last night, that Luzhuo had been the one who had whipped Piandao. Ten of those lashes had fallen when Piandao had spat in Luzhuo's face. Ten lashes, and he still bore the marks of his rebellion.

The Grand Sage had enjoyed whipping him, she knew it in the gloating look on his face.

“She is innocent and I plan to prove it.”

The Grand Sage smirked. “And how do you plan to do that?”

“By catching the people actually responsible. As Zuko would want me to.”

Tam wanted to tell Piandao to stop; taunting the Grand Sage and telling him what he intended to do was tantamount to painting a big fat target on his back. If the ones who were framing Suki turned their attention on Piandao...

Tam glanced at Piandao's profile. Of course.

That was exactly what Piandao wanted. To flush them out. He was making himself a target on purpose. Worry gnawed at her gut instantly. If it worked...

_I hope you know what you're doing, Pi._

“We have the person responsible. And soon we'll have all of her little conspirators. That whore of a Kyoshi Warrior is in this palace somewhere. I'm going to find her and throw her into the dungeon where she belongs.”

Piandao didn't look at her, but she could practically feel him fighting not to step between her and the Grand Sage, who still hadn't looked at her.

“You can try, Luzhuo. Perhaps you'll even find her. I doubt you'll like what happens if you try to capture her, however. I might enjoy watching that fight.”

“Exactly the kind of sentiment I would expect from a traitor,” Luzhuo sneered at him and then marched past him swiftly and taking three guards with him. Tam let out a breath when the healing ward doors closed behind them.

Piandao glanced at her, but didn't say anything. She knew what he was thinking though, could feel his relief and his worry.

“Come on.”

They walked toward the ward doors together, but they swung open unexpectedly, and Tam found herself face to face with another familiar face. Fen, Zuko's secretary, pulled up short. His eyes tracked from her to Piandao.

“Fen! The Seneschal, is she okay?”

“Yes,” Fen started, and then made a frustrated noise. “Its good to see you, Councilman, but I can't speak right now.”

“What's wrong?”

Fen moved closer and dropped his voice. “I need to send a message to Avatar Aang. The Seneschal's orders.”

Tam's chest tightened, a spark of hope blazing up. Of course! Avatar Aang! Why hadn't she thought of that before? If anyone could sort out this mess, it was Aang.

“I already sent him a letter this morning, requesting his assistance,” Piandao said, surprising Tam. He hadn't mentioned it in his suite. Then again, she had been busy getting naked and making an idiot of herself. It hadn't come up.

Fen looked surprised too. “You did?”

“Yes, but a second letter can't hurt. I asked him to come here. I believe the Seneschal is in danger.”

“I do too, but she asked me to ask the Avatar to go to Ba Sing Se. She's worried about Zuko.”

“I am as well,” Piandao said heavily. “The Avatar will do what he thinks is best. Send the letter, Fen. We need all of the help we can get.”

He clapped Fen on the shoulder, and Fen bowed respectfully to him, then bounded off in his brisk way. Tam glanced at Piandao. Fen had barely even looked at her, his eyes skating over the uniform and seeing nothing else. Unlike the Grand Sage, Fen knew her fairly well; if she could fool him, then she doubted anyone else would see past the disguise.

“Come on,” Piandao said, though he looked like he wanted to say something else. There were ears everywhere, though, and she knew they couldn't risk it. She had her part to play.

Luckily, she was used to playing bodyguard.

They walked through the ward doors and immediately encountered more guards, who drew swords at them, voices raised.

“The ward is off-limits to everyone, turn around and leave or you'll be arrested,” one of the guards barked, pulling a sword and pointing it at Piandao. Tam stepped up, pulling her own sword.

“Stand down, that's Councilman Piandao!”

“We have our orders!”

A door opened on Tam's right, and a tiny woman with snow-white hair appeared, looking angry instantly. “What's going on out here?”

“Councilman Piandao has asked to speak to the prisoner. The Grand Sage ordered us not to let anyone talk to her,” the guard with the sword said.

“He doesn't give orders in my ward. Let him in. NOW!” Healer Nam-Kyu barked. The guard jumped at her tone, and then hesitated. He glanced at Piandao and then at Nam-Kyu and then lowered his sword.

“You have five minutes,” he said grudgingly. Nam-Kyu glared at him, standing back and shooing the two of them into the room. The door closed behind them, and Tam looked up, finding herself face to face with another familiar face.

Suki looked at her, and then at Piandao. Then she looked back at her, her brows flying up. Tam could see recognition on her face.

“ _Tam?!”_

“ _Shhhh!_ ” Tam said, waving her hand on her, and glancing at the door. “I'm in disguise!”

But Suki crossed the room and threw her arms around Tam, who did the same, willingly pulling her sister into a tight hug. Suki clung to her for a long moment.

“I knew Piandao would find you,” she said, pulling back and staring into Tam's eyes. “What are you doing here, you idiot? There are guards looking for you! If the Grand Sage finds you...”

“Well, he didn't recognize me five minutes ago, when I was standing right in front of him! He thought I was just a guard. So did Fen!”

Suki hesitated. “I thought you were just a guard too, for a second.”

“See? I'm smart _and_ sexy. The total package,” she said, grinning. Suki rolled her eyes.

“I missed you.”

“Missed you too. How are you? I heard about what Bai did. How's the royal brat?”

“Fine. For now. What are you two doing here?”

Tam glanced at Piandao, and then together they launched in, explaining what had happened, starting with what she had witnessed in the Fire Lord's suite the day before. Suki sat down about half-way though, looking pale and angry. She didn't interrupt, however, one hand against her mouth.

“Guardsman Hung is shadowing Viz today. He's going to try and find out who Viz might be working with. It may come to nothing.”

“Hung? He's the one you were kissing yesterday?” Suki mused. Tam's face reddened.

“Yeah.”

“You trust him?”

“Yes,” Piandao said. “With this, at least.”

Suki's brow arched at that, but she didn't comment. She looked between them. “Viz planted the evidence. Okay. That's a start. I know him. He's not smart enough to do this on his own. He's someone's toadie.”

“My first suspect is the Grand Sage.”

“Mine too,” Suki said heavily. “He has it out for me. He's threatening to put me on trial by the end of the week. And with Zuko gone... He could do it.”

“I'll testify that I saw Viz planting that evidence,” Tam started, but Suki snorted.

“They'll arrest you and throw out your statement. You know they will. They won't believe you. Especially not Luzhuo. If you can't find proof that Viz planted the evidence, if you can't bring in the people behind this...” Suki trailed off, biting her lip.

Tam crossed the room and sat down next to her, throwing one arm over her shoulders. “We won't let them do this, Sukes. Piandao and I will find the men responsible for this. And if it's the Grand Sage, then we'll find a way to take him down.”

“I think I would enjoy that,” Piandao said, making her look up at him. She smiled a little, as their gazes met. Knowing what Luzhuo had done to Piandao, and hearing the venom in his voice in the hallway when he'd ranted about Suki, and then threatened her made her feel sure that she would enjoy that too.

Even if the Grand Sage wasn't behind this—which she very much doubted—she knew she'd stop at nothing to take him down.

For Suki.

And for Piandao.

_And maybe just for the hell of it._


	13. Piandao

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This takes place after Chapter Fifty-Three of With Or Without You.

"It's too soon," Piandao said, jaw ticking as he stood in front of the assembled Council, or rather, what was left of it. Looking around the table, he couldn't help but feel like he was outnumbered.

Facing him across the wide, gleaming table were Bai and Grand Sage Luzhuo, now Steward of the Fire Nation. Both men were glaring at him; Luzhuo had an expression on his face of utmost disdain; as if sharing a table with Piandao was a slight upon his honor.

At the end of the table in her usual seat sat Madam Biyu, who looked wan and worried, though there was a determined set to her shoulders that told him she was holding herself together better than she had two days ago when news of Lian's murder had broken. She'd sobbed openly at the news. Piandao knew that the two women had been close, though they disagreed as often as not.

With Duke Ru on his way to Ba Sing Se to help search for Zuko, and Suki held prisoner in the same healing ward where Guo was still recuperating, the table looked empty and threatening.

"I have made my decision," Luzhuo said, his knuckles rapping upon the table. "She will face a trial at the end of the week."

"You _will_ wait to hold your trial until we hear from Duke Ru. If Fire Lord Zuko is found, and you put his fiancee, and the mother of his unborn child, on trial for murder before he returns, I would not want to face his wrath." Piandao put his hands flat on the table and leaned forward, brow arching. "Unless...you believe that he is not going to return."

Luzhuo's mouth flattened beneath his beard, eyes glinting like glowing candle flames.

"Fire Lord Zuko's disappearance is of grave concern to me," Luzhuo said. "I fear for his safety, but I will not let the Fire Nation fall into chaos if I can help it. We have plenty of evidence to prove that _Seneschal Suki_ murdered Lian and her family, and attacked Guo. We have the murder weapon, an eyewitness, and blood-stained clothing, the fan... What more do you want, Piandao?"

"A motive would be nice," Piandao said, as Bai snorted. "Why kill Lian, why attempt to kill Guo? And why would she chase after the assassin? If she tried to have Guo killed, why did she alert the guards and get him medical aid? She could have let him die on the floor of the hearing room. She saved his life instead."

"Or perhaps she realized that her assassin had botched the job? And killed her to hide the evidence? That assassin died practically in Suki's arms. That's not a coincidence."

"It was a poison pill," Piandao argued.

"And where did she get such a thing? And what do we know about this woman, this assassin? Nothing! Where was she from?"

"Kyoshi Island, I would wager," Bai said, his beady eyes flashing.

"Prove it," Piandao said.

"I intend to," Luzhuo said.

Biyu took a breath. "I agree with Piandao. Suki and Guo disagreed, as she disagreed with Lian, but I...I find it hard to believe that she would try to kill them, evidence notwithstanding. She saved Guo's life. She has saved Zuko's life countless times! We have never been given cause to distrust her. We should wait for word from General Iroh, or Ru, before we act too rashly."

"She's a prisoner. There is no harm she can do right now, if you truly believe she's guilty of these crimes. Waiting will only strengthen your case."

"Or perhaps it will give her allies time to regroup and attempt to kill someone else on the Council? You forget, Piandao, that we still haven't found that other Kyoshi Warrior yet. Who knows what orders that girl might be under, the untold damage she could do. No one in this palace is safe from her until she's caught."

"They're all snakes in the grass," Bai said, shaking his head. "I never trusted any of them. They're not from the Fire Nation. They should never have been trusted with Zuko's guard detail in the first place, let alone been given such intimate access to him."

"I didn't know you were so prejudiced against the Earth Kingdom, Bai. You've never let on."

"I support the Harmony Restoration Movement," Bai said quickly. "You are well aware of that, Piandao. My concern is only about the possibility of foreign influence on our Fire Lord. You forget, because you were not here, what it was like when the Smoke Demons made their play on Zuko's throne. One of our own on this very Council was a traitor. We couldn't trust anyone! And what did Zuko do, the moment Shura demanded it?"

Piandao swallowed, glancing between Bai and the Fire Sage.

"He gave up the throne for Suki," he said reluctantly.

"Exactly," Bai said. "He did it for her. Our entire Nation, nearly handed over to a terrorist, because of a woman who has clearly schemed to become our Fire Lady for years. On the very eve of the wedding, she enacts this plot to get rid of her most vocal dissidents. It couldn't be clearer," Bai said, the accusation flinging from his mouth in a rush.

"You truly do not know Suki if you think she has schemed anything. Biyu, you've seen how much Suki has chafed under the expectations of becoming the Fire Lady, how uncomfortable she has been to be thrust into the political spotlight. She is a woman in love, not a political climber."

"Or so she would have you believe," Bai spat. "I don't trust her. I never have! And look at the proof! She's from the Earth Kingdom, and where did Zuko disappear? Ba Sing Se! It all fits!"

"There is proof, yes..." Piandao said carefully, looking from Bai to Biyu, then centering in on Luzhuo. "But it all seems too convenient, doesn't it? The bloody uniform, the very murder weapon... A signature fan down Lian's throat? The evidence doesn't just point to Suki, it practically paints a sign leading you straight to her."

"Precisely!" Bai declared.

"You think a woman you've already decided is clever enough to scheme her way into the Fire Lord's heart would be that sloppy? Suki would never have left Guo alive. A Kyoshi Warrior would never have missed Guo's heart, even with that dagger. The massacre at Lian's was sloppy, bloody. Lian's husband had time to fight back. Suki would never have given him the opportunity."

Biyu made a soft sound. "You are not helping her case, Piandao."

"Aren't I?" he said, brow arching. "Is Suki capable of killing? Yes, of course, she is. That is why she was Zuko's head bodyguard, and why she is so good at her job. You all know it's true. She knows it's true. But she would never make mistakes like this. She would never be caught. She is smart enough to get rid of the evidence, not leave it behind with her victim, not left in her bedroom for anyone to find. She's being framed. And sloppily so."

A hush fell on the Council chamber. He looked at the other members of Zuko's council, assessing their reactions. Luzhuo had none, other than the same glare that he had been gracing Piandao with the entire time.

Bai looked like he'd sucked on a bottle of curdled milk and was working a chunk between his teeth. Biyu looked thoughtful, her bejeweled fingers curled against her lips.

"You have no proof of that. And who would frame her?" she said softly.

"Good question," Piandao said, glaring at Luzhuo, wondering if he'd made a mistake by voicing his opinion. He was standing across from a man who hated him, who saw him as nothing but a traitor to the Fire Nation. Luzhuo, he knew, had been a true believer, a supporter of Fire Lord Azulon, and Ozai after him. Since being appointed as the Grand Sage four years ago, he had played the game many in the Fire Nation still loyal to the old ways played; they supported Zuko and the Harmony Restoration Movement in public but spoke in private against it.

Luzhuo and Zuko had butted heads more than once since he had become the Grand Sage. The fight over the protection and rights of gays had been a turning point, a firebrand, setting a rift between the two men that might never heal.

Tamarind had told him that the Grand Sage had denied Suki and Zuko a temple marriage just a few weeks before Zuko had left for his mysterious trip to the Earth Kingdom. He thought about playing that hand, throwing it into Luzhuo's face, and then thought better of it.

He had already overplayed things, and he knew it. If Luzhuo was behind the plot against Suki, then angering Luzhuo was not in his best interests. Luzhuo already hated him. It would take very little for the Grand Sage to turn his eye on Piandao, looking to retaliate.

And that was the last thing he needed, considering the fugitive sleeping in his bed.

He was pushing his luck. He couldn't help Suki, or Tamarind, or Zuko, if he was in a prison cell. Or worse, dead.

Piandao pushed away from the table, standing up straight and clasping his arms behind his back. He stared down his nose at the two men before him. "You know my opinion, and I will tell Fire Lord Zuko what I have said here today, when he returns."

"So noted, Piandao. As for now, I believe this Council can get along without you."

"Excuse me?" Biyu said, dropping her hand, her mouth open.

Piandao and Luzhuo's gazes met and held for a long moment. "You are dismissing me from the Council?"

"Why do you think I called you here, Piandao? For your opinion?" Luzhuo said derisively, smiling. "I don't listen to the opinions of traitors. Nor do I allow one to sit on my Council."

"This isn't your Council."

"Until Zuko returns, _if_ he returns, it is. You are dismissed."

Piandao looked from Bai to Biyu. Bai looked nervous now, glancing at the Grand Sage in confusion. Biyu looked shocked, the blood draining out of her face.

"You cannot do this. Piandao has done nothing wrong!"

"My decision is final," Luzhuo said, chin lifting.

Piandao took a breath and then bowed curtly. "As you wish, Steward."

He turned on his heel with military precision, and marched toward the door of the Council room, only to be stopped by Luzhuo's sly voice calling out to him.

"If you try to speak to my prisoner again, I will have you arrested and thrown into a prison cell beside Captain Ty Lee. It would give me great satisfaction."

He bit back his reply, and walked out of the room. The Grand Sage's eyes burned into his back the whole way. The old scars tingled, a phantom of the pain he had endured so long ago.

He passed several groups of soldiers on his way back to his suite, but no one stopped him. They gave him a wide berth instead, spying the black expression on his face, the heavy scowl and furrowed brow. By the time he entered his suite again, closing and locking the door tightly shut, a paranoid itch was forming between his shoulder blades, as if someone were pointing a crossbow at his back.

He didn't look behind him, but he was relieved when he threw the lock.

And even more relieved when a tousled head of long black hair popped around the edge of the bedroom door. His eyes met Tamarind's and he saw relief there, as she opened the door all of the way, and bounded out.

"You're back! I was so worried!"

He blinked in surprise, but didn't stop her when she threw her arms around his neck in a tight embrace. His heart leaped instantly and he instinctively looped his arms around her waist, holding her there, even as she held him.

"I'm fine, Tamarind," he said, breathing in the scent of her hair. He couldn't help it, it was everywhere, in his face, across his mouth. He patted her back and she pulled back a little, dropping back down to her heels. "I was worried about _you._ "

"You should have brought me with you!" His eyebrows went up, and she made a frustrated noise. "I don't care about the danger! There's a psycho out there trying to bump off Council members, the last thing you need is to wander around by yourself alone!"

They'd already had this conversation before he'd left the suite for the Council meeting. The summons had been delivered with his lunch. He had been dreading a Council meeting, knowing that he would have to face Luzhuo again, but he had not been able to refuse.

He hadn't liked leaving Tam in the suite alone. He knew that she could protect herself, and he knew that Lio had made sure no one would search his quarters, but how long would that last? Especially now that the Grand Sage had dismissed him from the Council?

Tamarind wasn't safe here, but he had no idea where to take her instead. He didn't have many options and what little he did have was shrinking by the second.

"I can handle myself," he said patiently, his hand sliding up to grasp her muscular upper arms.

"So can I. You should have let me come along."

"They might have recognized you. I won't jeopardize your freedom for my safety. And I do fear neither of us is safe any longer."

He launched in, telling her about the meeting, about Luzhuo dismissing him from the Council. Tam's freckled face heated up instantly, her jaw jutting out with anger on his behalf.

"That puffed up, pointy hat-wearing piece of shit!" she burst out. "He doesn't have the power to dismiss you!"

"I'm afraid he does. Hopefully, it won't last long. Duke Ru should be arriving in Ba Sing Se tomorrow. If Zuko were to return soon..."

But neither of them voiced what they were both thinking; there had been no second letter from General Iroh yet, no news about Zuko's fate. He tried to tell himself that it was because of the distance; messages were slow to come across the sea, if they made it at all. The messenger hawk relay system was not always reliable. Messages were lost as often as they were delivered.

They had not heard back from the Avatar yet either, but he was not expecting a letter from him yet. Republic City was closer than Ba Sing Se, but any reply from the Avatar was still days away.

Meanwhile, Zuko's fate was unknown. There was nothing he could do about that, except try to hold together the fracturing Fire Nation in his stead. That meant protecting Suki, and the heir, at all costs.

 _And her,_ he thought, meeting Tam's bright green eyes, livid with anger on his behalf. _I would die to protect her. And I am sure she would fight me the entire way._

"Zuko may get here too late, if he comes at all. We have to act as if he's not coming. Which means we need to save Suki."

"We're doing all that we can."

"No, we're not! We suspect Luzhuo, and Bai, right? Well, let's follow them!"

"And how do you propose that? You're a wanted woman."

"They won't recognize me. They didn't the other day. I stood right in front of the Grand Sage and he had no idea it was me."

"Because he didn't bother to look at you. We can't tempt fate."

"Well, I feel useless here, Pi! Suki's in danger, you're in danger! Ty Lee is in a dungeon! Who knows where Zuko is? And I'm here, stuck in your bedroom and I'm not even having fun in there! And you're out of food!"

He laughed; he couldn't help it. The sulky tone in her voice worked through his worry like a knife, prying loose something tense in him.

"I left you two loaves of bread, a block of cheese, and a bowl of fruit."

She made a face. "Yeah...about that..."

"I was only gone an hour."

"I eat when I'm stressed! Or nervous. Or bored. Or after I get naked in front of a man and he runs the other way like I had some monster third nipple in the middle of my chest."

He stopped, brows rising again. "A what?"

"You heard me!"

"Tamarind..." he started, because they had not talked about what had happened the other day. In fact, he had been studiously avoiding meeting her eye. Or any looking at any other part of her, because when he did, all he could think about was how she'd looked standing there naked in front of him, a towel at her feet, and her heart in her eyes.

The mere memory of it made him dizzy. He hadn't wanted to walk away from her. No, he had wanted other things, carnal things that they had not had time to indulge in.

Not that he was going to indulge. No, he would rather torture himself into insanity, dying of want for her. He had stood in front of the bedroom door last night after she'd gone to bed, both daring himself to open it and go to her, and talking himself out of it at the same time. He'd spent another sleepless night on the couch, replaying that moment, and the night before, when she'd confessed that she was attracted to him.

No matter what his heart wanted, or how his body tortured him with desire, he had resolved not to give in. For her own good. She would thank him for his control eventually. He didn't want her to regret anything, least of all being with him, when she realized what a mistake it was. And she would realize it. She had to.

But the thought of giving in, and taking her... It was a temptation he was not sure that he was strong enough to resist, especially when she made it so hard for him.

"I did not think you had a...third nipple."

"I freaked you out though. I know I have impulse control problems. I get something in my head and just go for it without thinking of the consequences, but... We haven't talked about it. Or about that night."

"Now is not the time," he said, and started to walk away from her, but she reached out, grasping his hand.

"Then when is the time? Look, I know we have a lot going on right now, and bigger worries, but... If you don't want me, just say so! I'm a big girl, I can handle that, Pi. I just don't want things to be awkward between us."

Here was his chance. He could turn her away, turn her down. Perhaps push her in Hung's direction. The words formed on his tongue, but he couldn't say them. All he could do was stare at her, as her hand slipped down his arm and her fingers tangled with his. She stepped closer and her head tilted to the side, one lock of hair falling across her face.

"Just tell me you don't want me."

Didn't want her? His entire body was on fire, desire for her like a roaring beast riding him, tearing at his heart.

"Tamarind, I..." he started, but a knock sounded on the door, in a pattern he recognized.

" _Monkeyfeathers!_ " Tam cursed, as the pattern repeated twice more. Grateful for the reprieve, he rushed to the door and unlocked it, letting Hung into the suite.

"Well?" he asked, as Hung looked from Tamarind to him and back again. "Did you find out anything?"

Hung had been shadowing Viz under the guise of Piandao's orders since yesterday. Viz had not been happy about it, according to Hung, but he hadn't been able to run Hung off.

"Mostly he just sat in his damn office all day, just like yesterday," Hung said. "Until about two hours ago, when he slipped out the back door of the Caldera guardhouse."

"He did?"

"Did you follow him?" Piandao asked immediately.

"Does a one-legged turtle-duck swim in a circle? Of course, I followed him! He went to a house on the edge of the Caldera. Disappeared inside. I don't know who lives there, but he was there for nearly an hour. I followed him back to the guardhouse. Thought you should know."

"That could mean anything. He could have a girlfriend or something," Tam said, chewing on her bottom lip.

Hung snorted. "Please! No way someone rich enough to own a house in the Caldera is dating a guard, captain or no. And especially not someone like Viz. He looks like something a frog would cough up. No way. Viz went there for a reason. I intend to find out what that something is."

Tam took a breath, looking excited, heat in her cheeks and her eyes shining. "When? Tonight?"

"Yeah. You up for it, Freckles?"

"Of course!"

"It's too dangerous," Piandao said immediately. Tam wheeled on him.

"Too dangerous? We have a lead, Pi! We have to investigate!"

"We have no idea what's in that house! It could be an army of assassins for all you know! It could be a trap. It could be nothing. We should watch the place, find out more, before we act."

"We don't have time! This could be our only chance to find out who Viz is working for! We have to take it. Hung, we're going. Tonight."

"And if you're caught?"

"Stop trying to protect me, Pi!" Tam said hotly, jabbing her finger into his chest. "And stop telling me what to do!"

"I am not trying to tell you what to do, Tamarind," he said, feeling stung. "I just want you to stop and think, for once in your life."

He knew he'd said the wrong thing immediately, because she bristled, eyes flashing.

"Ooooh...tension..." Hung said under his breath, cheeks inflating and a soft gust of air breaching his lips as his eyes flicked between them.

"I am thinking, and you know what? I'm thinking I'm done waiting for you to decide what you want, Piandao."

"That's not what I..."

"Hung, come on. The sun will be down soon. We can check this place out."

"Uh..." Hung started, glancing back at Piandao.

"Don't worry, he can't give you orders now. He's not on the Council anymore."

"Wait, what? The hell happened while I was gone?" Hung said, confusion in his voice as Tamarind reached for the door. Piandao darted forward, catching her arm.

"Please, I don't want you to leave."

"Oh? So now you finally know what you want, huh?" she said, and then yanked her arm free. "Stay here, Piandao. Hung and I have this covered."

And with that, she swung the door open and marched into the corridor. Hung hesitated, glancing at him with a grimace on his face.

"You fucked up, man."

Piandao closed his eyes for a moment, pain in his chest. He rubbed at his shoulder, his old scars still aching. "I know. Just...bring her back safe."

Hung nodded, and then left, the door closing behind him. Piandao wanted to follow Tam, to talk her down, explain...tell her how he felt, but he didn't.

He knew that she was more than capable of handling herself, though the thought of her walking into some kind of trap made his hands tighten into fists, so hard he could feel his short nails digging into his palms.

He didn't let up; the pain was steady and grounding, but it was nothing compared to the ache in his chest, in the places she belonged. In the places that he knew she would never leave.


	14. Tam & Piandao

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This takes place during Chapter 56 of With Or Without You.

“That... _pent up_ , _repressed_ , stupid, _noble_ , idiotic...” Tam snarled, her boots slamming into the hallway floor with a series of echoing bangs. She passed a large plant with showy green leaves and took a swipe at them. “ _JERK!_ ”

“Would you wait up? Tam!” Hung hissed, hurrying behind her as she marched down the hallway. He reached out and grasped her arm, spinning her around to face him. She glared at him and immediately yanked her arm free.

“Don't touch me!”

“Hey! Sorry! I know you're mad at him, but don't take it out on me!” Hung said, glancing up and down the hallway. “And in case you forgot, there are guards searching for you! You don't want to draw attention to yourself. Calm down!”

She opened her mouth to reply, but then snapped it closed. He was right; stomping around and yelling was making her feel better, but it wasn't the best idea for someone on the lam.

“Sorry,” she managed, as Hung reached out, and pushed her to the side of the corridor. “He just... I know I'm impulsive, but this is important! If we have a lead, we can't just sit around and let it pass us by, just because there's risk involved! You know?”

“I know,” Hung said, grasping her upper arms. “He's a cautious guy.”

“Too cautious. He has to over-think everything and then he won't act when he should! Even when I know _exactly_ what he's thinking and what he wants to do and why won't he just fucking...” she trailed off, her hands lifting, fingers curling as if to strangle an invisible throat. “NHAAAH!”

Hung's brows climbed his forehead. “Why do I feel like you're not talking about him not wanting to investigate that house tonight?”

“Shut up,” she mumbled, rubbing her forehead. She dropped her hand and looked up at him. “Look, let's just focus on anything but Pi right now.”

“Oh, it's still _Pi_. I see,” Hung said, his lips curling. “You're mad at the guy, but it's still _Pi_.”

“Shut up,” she repeated, pushing at his chest. Hung laughed, backing up a step. “Before I get mad at you too.”

Hung looked like he wanted to say something else, but he shook his head, mouth closed. He gestured down the hallway with a tilt of his chin, and she fell into step beside him. She was still upset, but as they silently made their way out of the palace, her anger slowly calmed into a simmering knot in her stomach.

She knew it wasn't just Piandao throwing her impulsiveness back into her face that had upset her. She just didn't know where she stood with him. She knew he was attracted to her, though he hadn't said it. She caught the looks he gave her when he thought she wasn't paying attention. His face when she'd dropped that towel on the floor at his feet had told her everything she needed to know.

And yet he just wouldn't do anything! She had practically done everything except climb into his lap!

She stewed over it; she couldn't help it. Piandao was driving her crazy.

She and Hung made their way out of the palace; no one gave them much notice. She was still wearing the palace guard uniform, and she fell into step with Hung, who walked with the surety of a man on a mission. She'd found that most people didn't stop someone who looked like they knew exactly what they were doing.

No one looked at them twice as they exited a side door, and walked around to one of the courtyard doors that lead into the Caldera city. She saw guards on the exit and hesitated.

“Security is still tight, but just follow my lead and keep your head down,” Hung said, his hand briefly touching her back. She glanced up at him.

“What if they recognize me?”

“Let's hope they don't, or we may have to make a run for it.”

She grimaced; she'd been spending most of her time in Piandao's suite for this very reason. Walking around the palace, even in a guard's uniform, was risky. Piandao had insisted. She knew that he was being practical, and she even agreed with him, but it wasn't in her nature to just sit around and _wait._

“If they recognize me and you're with me, you'll be just as wanted as I am.”

Hung shot her a grin. “I'm used to being wanted.”

Tam rolled her eyes, groaning. “Please take that back.”

“Never,” Hung said and then drew himself up, ramrod straight, as they approached the guards.

“State your name and business in the Caldera,” one of the guards asked, glancing between them.

Tam tilted her head down so that they couldn't get a good look at her face in the fading light. The sun was almost down, the last orange streaks chasing off into the west, and an indigo tint spreading slowly across the sky. The first stars were popping out, with a faded fingernail moon smiling in the twilit haze. Long shadows stretched out from the city walls, broken by the oil-lamps coming to life. Tam spotted a Firebender walking the wall, lighting the lamps one by one.

“Guards Hung and...” Hung hesitated, glancing at Tam.

“Saffron,” she supplied quickly. Her sister's name was the first one that popped into her head.

“Councilman Piandao ordered us to check in with Captain Viz on the investigation into Councilwoman Lady Lian's murder,” Hung said smartly, rolling with it.

The guard hesitated, and Tam wondered for a moment if he had been informed that Piandao was now no longer on the Council, though she doubted it. News traveled fast in the palace, but Piandao had only just been dismissed.

“There's a curfew. We're not supposed to let anyone in or out past nightfall.”

“Come on, man,” Hung said, stepping closer. “I'm just following orders here. The Councilman is worried that another attack could happen soon. And you know they haven't found that crazy ass Kyoshi Warrior yet.”

Tam shot him an unamused look.

The second guard looked at his friend and shrugged. The first guard sighed. “Alright. You've got an hour until our shift change. If you're not back before the other guards are on the gate, you may not get back into the palace until morning.”

“Yeah, Chien-Po is a real hard ass about the rules.”

Tam wanted to tell them both that they could stand to be a little more hard ass themselves, all things considered. But she kept her mouth shut, as Hung nodded.

“I think we'll manage. Thanks,” Hung said, as the second guard unlocked the gate and swung it open for them. They walked through it, and took off along the wide square surrounding the palace, heading in a vaguely southwesterly direction.

“They didn't even ask for a copy of your orders,” Tam said, once they were well out of earshot of the walls and the gate. “So much for Suki's security measures.”

“I think we're just lucky they didn't question us too much. Or recognized you.”

“I almost wish they had. I could use a fight,” she grumbled.

“Feeling frustrated?”

She made a low growl, and Hung laughed, the sound soft on the warm twilight air. The last of the orange streaks had faded into a vague pink, and as they walked, the night grew deeper, resting shadows in the lee of courtyard walls, and beneath the trees that lined the streets of the Caldera. Lamps glowed in the windows of the homes they passed, looking warm and inviting.

They walked in silence, keeping to the courtyard walls. They passed out of the more affluent neighborhoods, where sprawling manses took up whole blocks, and into streets lined with smaller homes, although small wasn't exactly the word Tam would have used.

As her eyes flicked from one home to another along the left side of the street, she couldn't help but think that just one of these homes could have fit three or four of the little wooden cottages of Kyoshi Island within its walls. She was a long way from home, that was for sure.

“It's just up here,” Hung whispered. “So what's the game plan?”

“We need to get inside.”

“And if it's full of assassins?”

“Then you'd better use that sword of yours,” she said, fishing her fan out of the front of the guard's uniform where she had hidden it. “And don't get killed.”

“Would you miss me if I did?” he said lightly.

“Like a hole in the head.”

Hung laughed a little, but then dropped down to one knee at the corner of another courtyard wall. She saw why a moment later; a cadre of Caldera guards was marching past, bearing guttering torches. They were armed and looked like they were on alert.

Tam dropped down with him, watching the guards as they marched past. They disappeared down a side street, leaving the two of them crouched together, her hand on his arm.

“Come on,” he said, after looking around the corner of the wall. She followed, and he lead her down into a narrow gulley between two houses, with eight foot brick walls on either side. She didn't like being in such a narrow space; it felt too much like a shooting gallery. If anyone got above them with a distance weapon, they were sitting turtle-ducks.

Hung didn't seem bothered by that, however, leading her out of the alley and into another one. This one ran behind the houses, and he lead her straight toward a back gate, hanging rustily on its hinges.

“This is the place,” he said, gesturing toward the house beyond the gate. She couldn't see much of the place; the tiny sliver of moonlight high above them was the only illumination. The other houses on this street were dark, either empty for the summer like many places in the city, or abandoned, she wasn't sure; she had never been to this part of the Caldera before.

“No lights,” she whispered. “You think it's empty?”

“Looks like it,” he said, crouching behind the wall. “I followed Viz back to the guard hall, thinking he might go somewhere else, but he didn't. I came back here and watched for a half-hour, but either they left when I was following Viz, or...”

“Never left.”

“Or Viz wasn't meeting with anyone. Maybe the place is empty.”

“If its empty, then why did he come here?” she whispered, staring up at the blank facade. She could see the edges of the pagoda-style roof against the sky, curling on the edges, the tiles making little ridges against the stairs. She chewed on her lip, thinking hard about what they should do.

Piandao had wanted her to be cautious. He would have staked the place out for a day. Maybe two.

They didn't have that kind of time. Suki was in danger. Viz was either masterminding the frame, or simply a part of it, and if he had come here, to this seemingly abandoned home, then Tam needed to know _why._

“Come on,” she said, grasping the gate and vaulting over it. She landed on the other side in a crouch, while Hung, less stealthily, clamored over the gate. It gave a creek on its hinges, rattling, but he got over it and landed beside her.

She gestured for him to follow her, and together they made their way across the courtyard, keeping to the shadows beneath the scrubby tree sitting twisted and neglected in the center of the uneven cobblestones.

Tam sidled along the wall to a window, which stood taller than her line of sight. She gestured wordlessly to Hung, who cupped his hands and braced. She stepped into his cupped hands and he lifted her up high enough to catch her hands on the lip of the windowsill.

The window was dusty, grimed over from disuse. A spider had made itself a home there, as she found out when the sticky web draped across the face she shoved against the glass. She gave a start, wobbling backward and unbalancing from Hung's cupped hands.

She jumped down before she fell down, landing with a soft cry, her hand swiping at the sticky, tickling mess draped across her face.

She spat a little and Hung jammed a hand against his mouth, laughed.

“Spider!”

“Wimp,” he shot at her in a low voice, his amusement clear. She didn't think it was funny, but at least she'd gotten a good glimpse into the house when she'd been up there. Hung batted her hand away, and ran his fingers along her face, clearing the last of the sticky webs from her hair. “See anything?”

“No. No lights, nothing. It looks abandoned.”

“It might be. Maybe Viz is thinking about buying it? This could be nothing,” Hung said warningly, when she moved her head away, and went for the back door.

“We have to be sure,” she said, wishing that she had her lock picking kit with her. It was back at the palace, in the trunk at the foot of her bed, and no good to her right now. She had to make due with what she had instead.

“What are you doing?” Hung hissed, as she picked up one of the loose cobblestones, working it free of the dusty, dry earth beneath.

“Knocking politely,” she said, and then chucked the cobblestone through the window over the back door. The glass shattered loudly, the sound echoing in the still night air.

“TAM! Someone could hear us! The Caldera guard are patrolling!”

But she wasn't listening. She knocked out more of the glass with her elbow, the shattering sounds like hot bursts of adrenaline along her spine. She reached in and found the lock on the door. She unlocked it and then swung the door open.

“Ta-da!”

“Wow,” Hung said, shaking his head. “Kyoshi Warriors are truly the masters of stealth and cunning.”

“Big rock goes smashy-smashy,” she said, entering the musty-smelling house. Her voice hushed immediately, her throat closing. It was the still air around her, her boots crunching across the broken glass, as Hung followed her inside.

She could tell already that this place had been abandoned for a while, though it hadn't started to decay from disuse yet. There was a thick layer of dust on everything, and she could feel it tickling the air, and making her eyes water.

Hung followed her into the house, but she could tell already that there would be nothing to find. They found footprints in the dust near the front door, but when she bent to examine them, all she saw were one set of prints, which had to have been Viz's

She followed those prints to another room on the first floor, and found a chair sitting in the middle of the room, looking dusty and worn. The scuffing prints lead right to the chair, and then back out again.

Tam frowned, looking around the room, and then examining the prints and the chair itself.

“What's wrong?”

“Viz came in through the front door, came into this room, and sat in this chair. But nowhere else?” she said, nose wrinkling. “Why would he do that?”

Hung shrugged. “Beats me. I just followed him here.”

“How long was he here?”

“About an hour.”

“Why would he do that?” Tam asked, frowning. “Why come here just to sit in a chair? There were only his footprints in the dust. He's the only one who has been here.”

Hung shook his head, looking up at the cobweb draped ceiling. “It doesn't make sense.”

But Tam's mind was working a mile a minute. “Unless he came here for a reason.”

“What reason? He was alone the whole time.”

“No, he wasn't,” she said slowly. “You were outside, watching him.”

Hung blinked in confusion. “What are you saying?”

“Piandao sent you to spy on Viz, right? To pretend to help him with the investigation? You've been on him like white on rice for the past few days. He has to be suspicious about that.”

“Okay, so why come here then?”

Tam paced back and forth in front of the chair. “To throw you off the scent. Or... I don't know, to distract you? If you're investigating this house and what he was doing here, that means he's free to be somewhere else. Or to do something else.”

“Like what?”

“I don't know... Maybe he had a meeting, maybe...he...”

But she stopped, the breath knocked out of her.

“What?” Hung asked, seeing the look on her face in the gloomy darkness.

“Piandao.”

“What about him?”

“Piandao has been asking questions, investigating. He got on the wrong side of the damned Grand Sage. Steward...whatever he's calling himself! He was dismissed from the Council today.”

“And, what does that have to do with luring me here?”

“Because Viz knows you're the head of his security detail! You report to Pi! If they lure you away, that leaves him unprotected...” she said, staggering back, one hand over her mouth.

“Piandao is in the palace. He's safe for now.”

“Guo was stabbed right in front of Suki. Piandao isn't safe in the palace, not with Zuko gone and the Grand Sage doing his power play. We think he has something to do with this. And he hates Piandao.”

“ _Shit_ ,” Hung breathed, his mouth open.

“He'd have him killed. I know it...I... Oh, Spirits, Pi!” Tam said, fear making her turn on her heel and run for the back door. Hung called after her, but she didn't stop. She knew that he was following her, through the courtyard and over the rusty back gate. She kept her eyes on the palace in the distance, running as hard as she could.

She hoped that she was wrong, that Piandao was safe in the palace.

If something happened to him she would never forgive herself.

* * *

Piandao paced his suite, his eyes half-closed, a muscle in his jaw ticking with every second of the clock. He felt an energy beneath his skin, something coiled, ready for release.

He should have gone after her, should have stopped her, should have joined her. But he had let her go, let her be angry with him. Let her do what she thought was best.

He wanted her to trust him, and that meant trusting her to do what she thought was best.

Still, he was worried. He should have gone with her, at the very lease. At least then he wouldn't be pacing his suite, uselessly worrying.

He went to the window and stared out at the night sky stretching out and filling his view of the world. He could see a fingernail moon, and it lit the world with a ghostly blue light. It was a good night for thieves and murderers.

He hoped that she was safe, hoped that she would come back soon. Perhaps she wouldn't. Perhaps he had ruined everything. He knew she hadn't been angry about what he'd said about her impulsiveness. It was everything else too.

She had told him how she felt, and then showed him pretty definitively when she'd dropped that towel, and he'd been unable to act on his feelings, too bound up in his dark thoughts and old hurts, too sure that someone like Tamarind would never feel about him the way he felt about her. He had vowed to hide his feelings, to push her away, hadn't he?

But seeing her angry at him, seeing her walking away from him, with Hung, should have felt like the right decision, but it didn't. It stabbed pain into his guts, into his aching heart, and made bitterness flood his tongue.

He couldn't banish the taste, so he had rung for a servant to bring him some mint tea, though his appetite had fled entirely. Until Tamarind was safe, he doubted he would want anything to eat.

What he wanted, more than anything, was to take her into his arms and kiss her, to give in, no matter what the consequences, no matter if he thought she might regret it later. He wanted her.

 _I love her_ , he thought, not for the first time, and with a touch of despair in his chest.

She wanted him, but was that all it was? He was afraid of the answer, afraid of the pain that would destroy him completely if she didn't feel the same way.

It was better then, to pretend. Right?

That was a lie, though, but one he was going to keep telling himself. It was the only thing he could do, without going mad in his suite alone. He wanted to go after them, but he had no idea where the house Hung had taken her to was. He could be searching the Caldera for hours.

A knock sounded on the door, interrupting his thoughts. He went to answer the door, expecting the tea he had ordered, but when he opened the door, he did not recognize the masked man in front of him.

Piandao's surprise at seeing the black-clad man had barely registered on his face a moment before the stranger thrust a sword straight at his chest.


	15. Piandao & Tam

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This takes place during chapters 56 - 58 of With Or Without You.

Piandao reacted too slowly; the tip of the sword caught on the front of his clothing as he jerked to the side. The blade slid across his chest, opening a wickedly burning slice. He ignored the pain, his elbow smashing down onto the blade, ripping his shirt open all of the way.

The masked attacker stumbled, recovered, and went for him again, swinging with skill. He was good, whoever he was behind that mask.

Piandao was better.

He allowed the attacker to swing in at him, luring him into the confines of his suite. Piandao's feet were light on the floor, moving the line as he ducked each swing, each slice meant to take his head, or find one of his vital organs.

He spun around an armchair, and the assassin kicked it at him. Piandao jumped over it, rolling across the floor toward his weapon's stand in the corner. He grabbed the nearest blade, and wrenched it from its sheath with a singing sound.

When he turned, the assassin drew up short, glaring at him through the eye-holes of the mask. Piandao's gaze flicked to the sword in his hands; he recognized the blade.

It was a Kyoshi sword. Tamarind had left one just like it in his office, hidden in a locked cabinet with her uniform. His eyes narrowed.

“That does not belong to you.”

“You can have it back soon enough. You're dead.”

“And yet there is still some life left in me,” he said, ignoring the hot blood soaking his ripped shirt and dripping onto the floor. “Did Luzhuo send you to silence me? He works quickly.”

But the assassin didn't answer; he swung at Piandao, who blocked the blow, striking out with his foot and knocking him back half a step. The assassin kicked a table at him, but Piandao danced backward, his weight shifting, ready for the real attack he knew was coming.

The table overturned, and a vase crashed to the floor, shattering across the carpet. The assassin kicked the glass aside and shook his shoulders out.

Then he let out a bellow of rage and came at Piandao with everything he had.

* * *

Tam's boots rang on the cobblestones as she and Hung ran hard through the streets of the Caldera, straight for the palace gates. The moon was out, a thief's moon, and it cast eerie blue shadows over everything. Fear made a tight ball in her stomach as she ran, arms pumping at her sides.

Piandao had to be okay. She refused to believe that he wasn't okay.

She was overreacting, she had to be; Viz hadn't lured Hung there on purpose, and even if he did, that didn't mean that Piandao was the target.

Except she didn't believe that.

_If something happens to Pi, I'll kill Viz myself. With my bare hands._

The gate loomed before them, and they skidded to a halt before it. Hung pounded on it, panting hard from their run. A panel opened at eye level, and a pair of unfamiliar eyes peered out at them. Tam felt her stomach drop; the two guards who had let them out past curfew had clearly gone off duty while they'd been investigating Viz's empty house.

“Let us in! We're on official business for Councilman Piandao!” Hung said in a rush, glancing at her. Tam had her hand on the hilt of the sword Hung had given her, energy crackling along her nerves.

“The gate is closed until dawn for security reasons, as you well know. And Piandao is no longer on the Council. You can wait until morning,” the guard said.

“Let me the fuck in, Chien-Po!” Hung said, his fist pounding on the door. “It's Hung!”

“I know who you are, but rules are rules!” the guard said stubbornly and started to close the gate.

Tam darted forward, her arm thrusting through the peephole. She grabbed Chien-Po by the front of his uniform and hauled him forward, banging his face against the door.

“If you don't let me the fuck in I will climb this wall with my bare hands, jump down the other side, and shove my foot so far up your ass you're gonna be chewing my toenails for the next year! Open the fucking gate!”

“I order you to let go, guardsman!” Chien-Po said, his hand on hers, trying to shove her off of him.

“Open the fucking gate!” she shouted through her teeth.

“What is your name, guardsman? I'll have you before Captain Lio for assaulting a superior!”

“Saffron! Let go!” Hung said, trying to haul her back.

“Saffron? We don't have any guards by that name,” Chien-Po said, eyes narrowing, as he got Tam's hands off of his uniform. He peered at her in the light of the lamps around the gate. His head cocked to the side, as Hung yanked Tam back a step.

It was too late, though. Tam saw recognition in the guard's face. His eyes widened with a gasp and then he backed up a step.

“You're her! The Kyoshi Warrior! Stop! You're under arrest!” Chien-Po said, and she heard keys jingling. “Guards! I need more guards!”

“Tam, we gotta go!” Hung said, grabbing hold of her arm.

She shook him off. This was the fastest way into the palace. The fastest way to get to Piandao. She wasn't going to let some puny guard stop her, or even a hundred of them.

The door open, and Chien-Po appeared, a spear drawn in her direction. Tam spun, kicking the broad blade of the spear aside. Then she moved in on the guard, her knuckles striking him under the chin, in the sides, and low in his groin.

The spear fell from his fingers and his legs collapsed on him. He landed in the doorway of the gate, face down on the cobblestones, groaning.

“Never seen chi-blocking in person,” Hung said, brows lifting. “Nice.”

“Come on,” she said, stepping over Chien-Po's inert form. “Before it wears off and his buddies come running.”

“We should tie him up,” he argued, but she ignored him, taking off across the courtyard before any of the other guards could come running. The gate guards walked the wall at fifteen minute intervals; Chien-Po was supposed to have a partner, but he must have been patrolling.

They passed other guards on their way toward the nearest palace entrance, and while they got a few curious looks as they ran, no one tried to stop them. She chalked that up to the guard's uniform again; everyone in the palace assumed the Royal Guardsmen knew what they were doing and did not try to stop them.

That, she thought with a sour taste in her mouth, was not a good thing.

The palace was quiet, and the halls were dark, as they ran up the stairs, Hung on her heels the whole way. By the time they reached the corridor outside of Piandao's suite she had almost convinced herself, out of some desperate hope, that she had been wrong.

But when she saw that the door of his suite was open, and heard a grunt of pain, the shattering of glass, her heart leaped into her throat. She put on an extra burst of speed, yanking the fan out of the front of her guard's uniform as she skidded against the slick marble and into the suite.

The place was a mess; there was shattered furniture everywhere, splintered wood and white goose-gator feathers floating in the air. And in the center of the melee, two grappling figures.

The man attacking Piandao was masked, and he had an all-too-familiar sword in his hands. Piandao's shirt was ripped, a bright splash of dark red blood flooding down his bared chest. He had a sword too, one of his own from the stand in the corner.

He was more than holding his own, but he was injured, and she could see, in the split second it took her to assess the situation, that his grip on the sword was failing, and there was a hitch in his step.

Piandao hadn't seen her; he had his spun with his back to her, concentrating on the fight, blocking another blow, and dancing backward away from the assassin. The assassin, however, had clocked both she and Hung, as he pivoted around Piandao. Sparks danced across their blades as they came together.

She started to move, her body tensing, ready for the fight, when Hung pushed forward, whistling sharply.

“Hey! ASSHOLE!” Hung shouted.

It wasn't the assassin who reacted, however; Piandao started, his eyes flicking to her and then to Hung for the briefest of moments.

It was enough; the assassin saw Pi's divided attention, and went for the kill.

“NO!” Tam screamed and threw her fan on instinct, aiming it straight for the blade the assassin thrust at Piandao's bleeding chest. The fan hit the blade with a metallic ring, and knocked the sword out of his hands. Both weapons spun off out of sight, leaving Piandao to swing at the defenseless assassin.

The blow didn't land. The assassin back-flipped away from him, narrowly avoiding the blade that carved a whistling path through the air where his head had been mere seconds before. He sprung backward, as Piandao recovered, staggering with the momentum.

Tam pulled her sword and went for the assassin.

“I'm going to kill you, you piece of shit,” she growled, but she heard a laugh, something dark and amused. She was aware of Hung beside her, and of Piandao's staggering against the wall, one hand to his chest.

She focused on the assassin, and saw him palming something from his belt.

“No!” she started, but it was too late. The assassin tossed smoke bombs at her feet before she could so much as move, and they immediately exploded.

The room filled with dark gray smoke, thick and acrid-smelling, blinding her. She stumbled back, coughing, looking for movement.

A fist came out of the smoke, hammering into her chest with force. She was knocked back into a warm, solid body. Arms went around her and she fell to the ground on top of Hung.

“GET OFF!”

“TAM!”

She rolled away from Hung, pushing him off of her with a grunt, and losing her sword in the process. When she got to her feet, her eyes were streaming in the smoke.

“Where is he?”

But she already knew.

She ran for the door anyway, but when she entered the corridor, it was empty. She turned this way and that, breathing hard, the taste of the smoke in her mouth, her chest on fire from the blow that had taken her down.

Hung came out into the corridor, coughing.

“Where is he?”

“Gone.”

“Check Piandao,” he said, racing off down the corridor, though she had a feeling that Hung was not going to catch the masked man, even if he'd guessed the way he'd fled. She didn't stop to watch him go, tearing back into the suite, her heart in her throat.

“Pi? Where are you?” she called through the smoke, waving her hands.

“Tamarind, I'm here,” he said, staggering out of the clearing smoke, and then stumbling on some broken furniture. He went down on one knee, the sword falling from his wet fingers.

“Pi!” Tam exclaimed, as Piandao fell back against an overturned table, clutching at his bleeding chest. He slumped down to the floor, face pained, mouth pinched.

“I think I may need medical attention,” he said shortly, as Tam ran across the smoky room, hitting her knees in a skid before him. Her eyes grew wide; she had seen the blood when she'd entered, but hadn't had time to focus on it during the fight. She'd known it was bad from the start, though.

“Pi, it's okay... It's okay...” she said, and tears swam in her already stinging eyes instantly, a spike of fear going through her. There was so much blood, she was sure that when she moved his hand he would die on the spot. Tears scalded her cheeks and she put her shaking hands over his.

“It's not... It's not as bad as it looks,” Piandao said in a thready voice, his lips curling a little. Sweat was dripping down his forehead. His hair had come loose from its usual tight knot, falling in gray-streaked waves against his face.

“Not that bad? That's a lot of blood!” she said, and let out a pained sound, a half-sob, half-groan of fear. She grabbed the rest of his torn shirt, cutting it loose with the edge of his sword, and then she wadded it up, moving his hands and pressing it to the slice. Hot blood gushed against her fingers. “Pi...”

She heard footsteps behind her and turned, seeing Hung skidding back into the room, his face pale and sweaty, and a bruise already blooming on his forehead. The smoke was clearing, but he coughed anyway, squinting at them.

“Gone,” Hung said, panting. “The fast little son of a bitch got away.”

“Pi's hurt!” Tam said, ignoring what he'd said. She'd deal with the assassin later; right now all she cared about was Piandao, bleeding on the floor before her, looking more and more ashen-faced by the minute.

Hung crouched down on his heels beside her. “Shit... We have to get him to the healing ward. Call the guards too.”

“No!” Tam said hotly, tears running down her face. “We can't alert the guard. We already knocked out the guard at the gate. They'll be looking for us. For _you!_ They saw you with me, Hung!”

“That's... Oh shit, that's bad,” Hung cursed, hazel eyes wide.

“The sword,” Piandao said harshly, gesturing to a blood-streaked sword on the floor a few feet away. Tam's burning eyes widened and she gasped, remembering that she had seen the assassin wielding it. Hung retrieved it, and brought it back, holding it up to the light.

“Did this belong to the assassin?” Hung asked, frowning.

“No,” Tam said, looking back at Piandao, who nodded in understanding. “It's mine. Or at least, it's a Kyoshi weapon. We all carry those swords. Suki's mom made them.”

“ _Shit,_ ” Hung cursed again. “Another frame job? The Seneschal and Ty Lee are still locked up. That means...”

“They were going to murder Pi and frame me for it,” Tam said, anger flaring within in her. Blood gushed over her fingers and she looked up at Piandao again, fear in her eyes. “It almost worked. They would have found his body... Probably just like Lady Lian, with a fan down his throat.”

“Don't count me out so easily. I had him until I got distracted,” Piandao said softly, and then coughed. She didn't think it was the smoke this time.

“Don't move,” Tam said sternly through her tears. She looked back over her shoulder at Hung. “He needs medical help. You have to get to Nam-Kyu in the healing ward. Bring her back here.”

“What about the guards?”

“Lio. Go to Lio first. He'll handle this,” Piandao said, shifting and wincing. “Just avoid anyone else.”

“What if they arrest me?”

“Just say I was holding you hostage,” she said.

“Yeah, that will work,” Hung said sarcastically, touching her shoulder. “Are you sure about this?”

“We can't trust anyone but Lio. He needs help and then we have to get out of this suite before they come back to finish him off.”

She hoped they tried. The assassin had gotten away, and she was never going to stop being angry about that. She would make him pay for what he'd done to Piandao.

And she would make Viz pay for luring her away from him.

“Take this,” Hung said, pushing the blood-streaked sword at her. “If anyone comes through that door that isn't me, Nam-Kyu, or Lio, kill them. We can sort out the corpses later.”

“Consider it done,” Tam said, as Hung ran for the door at a sprint. He closed and locked the door behind him, leaving her to turn back to Piandao. “He'd better hurry. This is a lot of blood...”

“There are bandages... The bathing room... Under the sink...”

She took his hand and pressed it to the rapidly soaking remnants of his shirt.

“Keep the pressure, right there,” she said fiercely, and sprung up. She was off and running, sliding into the bedroom and then into the bathing room. She didn't want to leave him, and fear made her hands shaky as she rummaged through the neatly ordered cabinets until she found bandages and a small first aid kit.

She ran back to Piandao, who was attempting to sit up, but she pushed him back down against the overturned table..

“Don't move,” she said in that firm tone again. “You could hurt yourself, tear something... I don't know...”

“You sound worried,” Piandao said, and his hand touched hers as she snipped off a large square of gauze. She looked up at him for a long moment—and then collapsed into a hard sob, unable now to keep it at bay.

She wasn't usually a crier, but seeing Piandao there before her, bleeding, sweating... She could still see how close the assassin had come to skewering him. If she hadn't thrown her fan at him, and if her aim had been off, by even just an inch...

Her hands tightened on the gauze, but Piandao's hand covered her own. His hand was warm and steady, despite his pain, despite his wound. She clasped his fingers in a tight clench and looked up at him through her tears. Tears she couldn't stop.

_He could have died._

The thought of Piandao dead was too much. It was like a punch in the gut, a stab in the heart. She choked on the very idea, and it left her spinning out in a mad rush of emotions and adrenaline from the fight.

“Pi...”

“It's okay, Tamarind, I'm okay,” he said soothingly, but she wasn't listening, blinded by tears now.

“I shouldn't have gone. You were right, I shouldn't have run in there without knowing more, and I left you. I knew you were in danger and I _left you..._ ”

Most of of her words were unintelligible, filled with sobs and hiccups, her nose running, but she knew that Piandao understood her.

“Shhh...” he said, and she felt his callused hand against her cheek, fingers beneath her wobbling chin, lifting her eyes to his. “It's only a scratch.”

“Only a scratch! You _stubborn_ _ass_...” she said, half a laugh escaping her, though she didn't think it was funny. She had never found anything less funny in her life. “He could have killed you!”

“I'm okay... Shh... He took me by surprise, that's all. He didn't lay a hand on me after that first slice.”

“Don't brag,” she said, hiccuping. His smile was gentle, amused.

“Please don't cry for me, I'll be fine.”

“I'll cry if I want to, you jerk,” she said, sniffing. She wiped her nose off on her sleeve, and he surprised her with a soft laugh. “You can't die on me. Okay? I won't allow it.”

He studied her face, something in him softening. He nodded.

“Alright, no dying. For you,” Piandao said as he cupped her face, thumb gently wiping at her tears. He smiled again, his eyes soft, though there was pain there too. “I would do anything for you.”

His voice sounded haunted, and the pain in his gaze was laced with a sharp longing. She felt it echo through her, and it was a physical pain, a stab right into her soul.

“Except kiss me.”

He stilled and their eyes met, burning like a brand.

“Tamarind...”

She couldn't look at him a moment longer, because if she did she knew she would do something impulsive and stupid, like usual. She had already said too much, had pushed too much. She wiped at her eyes and reached out, taking the soaked cloth away from his chest.

The wound was nasty looking. It would need stitches, at the very least. She pressed the white gauze to the wound, applying as much pressure as she could, though she didn't know if it would help. All of the Warriors received training in first aid, mostly wounds and small injuries, but she had never excelled at that.

Seeing people in pain had never been her strong suite.

Especially people she loved.

“Tamarind...”

She heard his voice, repeating her name in that smooth way that sent shivers down her spine. She felt his hand beneath her chin again, lifting her eyes to his. She couldn't look away. Wouldn't.

“You know how I feel about you, Piandao, and if you don't like me the same way then just tell me. Go ahead and break my heart. I'm a big girl, I can take it, but stop giving me looks like you want me, and then pulling away, okay?”

She shouldn't have said it, but her emotions were too high, and he was sitting in front of her, bleeding. She had no control over her mouth.

“The last thing I want is to hurt you,” he said.

“Then what do you want? Just tell me, Pi,” she said, hand over the wound. “Just tell me you don't want me.”

Piandao's brows knitted together, his eyes closing for a moment.

“I know what I _should_ say,” he said, thumb stroking her wet cheek. “For your own good, I know what I should say...”

“Then say it.”

“I can't,” he said, his voice pained, eyes opening and fixing her in their thunderous gray depths. She felt like she was standing on a cliff, staring into a storm-torn ocean, swirling before her, calling her...promising her sweet oblivion. She would jump if he asked her to, drowning gladly. “I _should_ , but I _can't._.. Tamarind, I...”

His gaze flicked to her lips, his mouth open. She felt that sharp longing in her again, and saw it reflected in his pained expression. He leaned forward, just an inch.

That was enough. Tam darted forward, closing the small gap between them with a soft exhale.

When her lips touched his, he didn't push her away.


	16. Piandao

Piandao told himself to push her away, to stop this madness, but he couldn't do it. The touch of Tam's lips against his was a torture he had never even imagined, a sweet balm against the pain in his chest that had nothing to do with the bleeding wound there.

He cradled her face, his lips softly moving against hers, wanting so much more and knowing that he didn't deserve it, didn't dare take what he wanted.

Tam moaned against his mouth and pressed for more, tilting her head to the side and changing the angle on him. He didn't mind, moving with her. He caught her bottom lip between his own and pulled on it, and Tam responded by practically climbing into his lap. She surged against him, one hand on the back of his neck, the eagerness of her kiss like a blinding rush of adrenaline.

He had known that she wanted him; she had told him that in no uncertain terms, but he hadn't thought she was serious. Hadn't thought it would be like this, this warm, blistering rush of desire and need and soft kisses that ran into one another, melting like wax.

It had been a long time since he'd kissed anyone. Not since Hotaru. He had been sure that he had forgotten how, but Tam clearly didn't seem to mind his lack of practice. Her hand was on his chest, over the wound there, but he didn't feel it.

Not when her tongue slipped into his mouth, a move as seductive and recklessly headstrong as she was. He followed her, deepening the kiss, until everything was a blur of lust and pain and _Tamarind_...

 _I should stop this_ , some part of him thought, all of the reasons he had concocted falling like a wall of poorly laid bricks in the face of Tam's obvious desire for him.

But then his hand caught in her hair, and he knew that he was goner, knew he would never have the strength to stop this. He had fought a hundred men and won, but he didn't have the strength to fight her. Not her. Never her...

Tam's hand pressed hard on his chest and he broke the kiss, wincing with pain.

"Oh! I'm sorry! Are you okay, Pi?"

He nodded. "Yes, I..."

But Tam's eyes were on the bandage on his chest, widening with alarm. He looked down and saw why; the bandage was rapidly soaking through with blood.

"Here I am making out with you and you're bleeding to death."

"I'm not bleeding to death."

"I hope Hung hurries up," Tam said tightly, reaching for another bandage. She peeled off the soaked one, and pressed the new bandage to the wound, biting down on her bottom lip. There was a blush in her freckled cheeks, and her green eyes were shining from the tears still wetting her face, though they had stopped falling. "If I can't get this to stop..."

"I'm okay," he said, putting his hand over hers. She met his eyes and he saw the emotion there, the worry for him, the fear at the attack, and her desire for him. "You saved me."

"No, I didn't. You had him," she said with a laugh. "Until Hung shouted at him, anyway. You got distracted."

"You are very distracting," he said softly.

"Most people would say I'm annoying instead."

"I'm not most people."

"No, you're not," she said. "You're not like anyone I've ever known, Pi. You're stubborn and you drive me crazy, but even when I was mad at you I wasn't really mad. When I realized that it was a trap, all I could think about was getting back to you before something happened to you. If that assassin had managed to kill you, I... I couldn't deal with it."

"What do you mean, it was a trap? Did something happen while you were out in the Caldera?" he asked, grateful to change the subject, because if she kept looking at him like that then he knew that he would kiss her this time. He was already hoping she would close the distance between them again, bleeding wound or not.

He forced himself to focus on the situation, however. His long-ignored libido could wait.

" _Nothing_ happened in the Caldera," Tam said grumpily. "It was a ruse to get Hung to go to that house. There was nothing there. I could tell by the dust prints that Viz entered the house, sat in a chair, and then left. There were no other prints, nothing in the house, no clues. Viz was clearly wanting Hung to come investigate. Which meant he lured him there so that he wasn't around _you_. I hate that I was right, but I'm glad I figured it out before it was too late."

"You blew your cover for me. They'll be looking for Hung, and a guardswoman now."

"Worth it," she said, pulling a soft smile. "Especially after a kiss like that as my reward."

"You kissed _me._ "

"You wanted me to."

He couldn't argue with that, because it was true. He hadn't had the courage to do it, trying to talk himself out of it the entire time, but wanting it more than he'd ever wanted anything in his life. Seeing her crying over him had shot every ounce of good sense he had ever possessed out of his body.

He was waiting for it to flood back, but so far it hadn't.

He had kissed her. He had kissed Tamarind.

He wanted to kiss her again, and not stop there.

"Maybe," he started carefully, "When this is all over..."

He didn't get a chance to finish his thought, because a knock sounded on the door. Tam grabbed her sword instantly, bounding to her feet and facing the door, every inch of her body ready for a fight.

"Stay there," she whispered down to him. "I won't let them get past me."

He didn't doubt her skills in the slightest; the assassin had only gotten away because of the smoke bombs, and because of her worry over his wound. Whoever the man who had attacked him had been, he wasn't stupid. He had known not to tangle with the Kyoshi Warrior.

He watched Tam slowly approach the door, the Kyoshi blade held lightly in her hands. She hadn't retrieved her fan yet; it was still lying a few feet away, where she had thrown it to deflect the assassin's blade from stabbing him through.

 _And then she kissed me_ , he thought stupidly. He was pretty sure he was not going to get over that any time soon.

"Hello?" Tam called as she approached the locked door. There was no peephole, but she cocked her head, listening for a voice in the hallway. Piandao didn't hear a reply, but Tam must have, because she started, reaching for the lock and swinging the door open.

Piandao saw a small woman on the other side, wizened and wrinkled like a particularly sour prune. She had sharp eyes, however, the eyes of an intelligent bird, hawkish and clever. Though her hands were age-spotted, they were steady. She looked Tam up and down.

"You don't look like you're hurt," Nam-Kyu said, brow arching. "That guardsman sounded desperate. I speed-walked here."

"I'm not hurt, Pi is," Tam said, gesturing her into the suite. She closed and locked the door behind her, and Nam-Kyu looked past Tam for the first time, spotting Piandao sitting against the overturned table, his shirt torn to bits, and a bloody bandage on his chest.

The healer's eyes flicked around the suite. It was a mess in the aftermath of the fight, with shards of glass and broken pottery and furniture everywhere. The room looked like a bomb had hit it.

"I used to party like this, you know," Nam-Kyu said.

"You... You did?"

"In my younger days. Word of advice, love triangles always end badly."

"What? I'm not in a... _What?_ " Tam sputtered, glancing at Piandao, who felt his face grow red. "How do you know?"

" _Please_ ," Nam-Kyu huffed. "And you, old man, you should know better," Nam-Kyu said, stumping over to him. She had a black leather bag in her hand, and when she lowered herself to the floor, she did so with more grace than her years belied.

"It's not what you think," he said quickly.

"Uh-huh," Nam-Kyu said, reaching for the bandage on his chest, which was starting to soak through too.

"It's not," Piandao repeated.

"I was teasing, but now I know that I'm right," Nam-Kyu chuckled, and then winced. "Oh, that's nasty, but it's not as deep as it looks. I need to clean the wound, and you'll have some lovely stitches for your trouble. Dare I ask what actually happened? Or did that young man really stab you for trying to steal his girlfriend, old man?"

"I'm not Hung's girlfriend. Pi was attacked by an assassin, Nam-Kyu. He got away. Hung didn't tell you?"

"He seemed preoccupied," Nam-Kyu said. "And angry. He was very short with me. Didn't like him."

"We got caught," Tam said. "The guards... They're going to be looking for him too. He's probably worried." Tam sighed and tipped her face toward the ceiling. "That's the last thing we need. Hung was our eyes and ears out there, and now he's going to be as wanted as we are."

"Well, thank you for getting me involved," Nam-Kyu said as she rooted around in her bag, pulling out various items. Piandao wasn't squeamish, and he had assumed that Tam wasn't, but when Nam-Kyu started in on cleaning the wound, the color drained out of her and she turned back toward the door.

"You're not going to faint, are you? I didn't bring smelling salts with me," Nam-Kyu said.

"No, I just don't like seeing Pi in pain."

"Pi, hmmm?" Nam-Kyu said, looking up at at him, brows rising. Piandao shifted uncomfortably in the steady judgment of her gaze. She shook her head and went back to cleaning the wound. She didn't say anything else, but the rebuke and disapproval in the healer's eyes was clear for Piandao to see.

Piandao glanced at Tam's back, and then away.

He felt shame in his cheeks. Whatever Nam-Kyu had sensed between him and Tam, she clearly disapproved of it.

 _And why shouldn't she,_ a nasty voice in his head said. _She's half your age. You look ridiculous... The entire court will disapprove. They'll say nasty things to her, all because of you..._

And she would eventually get tired of it. Tired of him. She'd realize what a mistake she'd made, or worse, realize that it was only a crush after all, that she didn't feel the way he felt.

And just like that, he was right back to where he had started. He winced when Nam-Kyu started sewing up the wound, but he didn't really feel it. His body was tingling with pain, with the knowledge of what he had to do. What choice did he have? What had changed?

Nothing. Nothing had changed. He had kissed her, and it still didn't mean a damned thing.

A knock landed on the door, making Tam jump again.

"It's me," a voice called, loud and clear. Tam opened the door, letting in two men. Piandao felt relief at seeing Captain Lio, who surveyed the damage in the room like the trained professional that he was. Lio was unflappable, logic-driven, and steady. Perfect for his job as the Captain of the Royal Guard. Piandao had liked him immediately, and trusted his judgment.

It helped too, that Suki also seemed to have put her trust in him, and he had returned the favor.

"Any trouble?" Piandao asked.

Hung snorted. "You can say that."

Lio shot Hung a quelling look. "It's not good. The guard at the gate alerted the rest of the guards once the chi-blocking wore off. Hung and Tamarind were spotted going into the palace. The guards are coordinating a search as we speak. A search that I need to head, mind you. My absence will be noted, but luckily Hung reached me without anyone seeing him."

"I don't think my luck is going to hold, either," Hung said, sighing. "We're boned."

"We're not boned," Tam said. "No one has been boning!"

"Oh really?" Hung said sharply. "Piandao is bleeding because an assassin tried to kill him in his own suite after he was fired from the Council by the freaking Grand Sage...Steward... Whatever he wants to call himself. Suki's in the healing ward, which may as well be a prison cell. Viz planted evidence on her, and he's certainly onto me now which means I can't even follow him and find out what he knows. We're both wanted now and Piandao is basically under a death sentence! They're going to come back and finish the job and he's injured and will probably not survive a second attempt—no offense."

"None taken," Piandao drawled flatly.

"So remind me, how are we _not_ boned, Tam. Hmm?" Hung said, brows lifting, his hands out. "I feel pretty boned!"

Tam sighed. "Because Lio is on our side. Aren't you, Captain?"

"As much as I can be given the circumstances," Lio said heavily, as Piandao winced again. Nam-Kyu was good, her hands working fast and steady, but the wound was not small. He would scar, he knew, but didn't much care. He had plenty of scars. What was one more?

"So what is our play here?" Tam said, looking from Lio to Piandao and back again.

"Do you think Viz is the one who set this up?"

"He was a part of it, but no," Piandao said. "It strikes me as too convenient that Luzhuo dismissed me from the Council and then an assassin showed up at my door. An assassin carrying a Kyoshi weapon. They meant to kill me and blame Tamarind."

That angered him more than he was willing to let on. It was bad enough that they had tried to kill him, but to blame it on Tamarind was an offense he would make them pay for.

"They had a Kyoshi blade?"

"This one," Tam said, holding up the sword. "It's not mine, but it's definitely one of our blades. I don't know how this assassin got a hold of it, but the only way they're getting it back is through their belly."

"Keep hold of it then. You may have need of it," Lio said, pacing back and forth. "We have no proof that Viz is involved, and without the assassin, we have no further leads in that direction."

"So there's an assassin loose in the palace? We just...let that happen?"

"Of course not," Lio said. "The other Councilors must be informed. They could be attacked as well. We just have to play this attack on Piandao's life right."

"And how do we do that?"

"We need to hide Piandao. They could come back and finish the job. The last thing he needs is to shout it out loud that an attempt on him failed," Hung said. "And hide us as well, before they lock down the palace again and we're trapped here. I can't go to prison. I'm too pretty."

"Hung is right. The two of you are in danger. You have to go into hiding or face arrest."

Piandao's stomach dropped, and Tam looked at him, brows drawing up in the middle. She looked like she wanted to argue, and for some reason that made him ache, acutely, right in the heart of him. She didn't want to leave him.

He didn't want her to leave either, no matter what his rational mind was screaming at him. And he certainly didn't want her around Hung... Hung who was young and handsome, and everything Tamarind should have wanted in a man, a man she had already kissed and done who knew what with...

Jealousy reared in him, and it was ugly and deep and snarling with rage. He hoped none of that showed on his face, however, and he forced it back, fighting tooth and nail for control over his suddenly turbulent emotions.

 _I kissed her,_ he thought again, dazed despite everything.

"We can't protect Piandao if we're in hiding," Tam said, and then turned to him when he opened his mouth to argue. "And don't give me that 'I don't need protected' crap."

He wanted to argue, but the memory of her tears stopped him. He had promised not to die, and while she hadn't been serious, he had been. He didn't ever want to cause her pain again.

"We'll think of a solution," he said.

"I'm on your side, but if one of the other guards finds you, I will arrest you. The only way I can help the Seneschal is by keeping out of a cell myself. I don't trust Luzhuo. I have to look like I'm following orders, do you understand? If they find out I'm harboring the two of you..." Lio said.

"But where will we go?"

"The old ward," Nam-Kyu said, not looking up from her careful stitches. She had been working slowly, almost painlessly, on his wound the entire time.

"Beg pardon?" Piandao said.

"The old ward," Nam-Kyu repeated, lifting her head now. "There are old storage rooms beneath the healing ward.. They were a part of the old healing ward, but when Azulon started rebuilding the palace, he tore the old ward down, and rebuilt the new one in its place. The storage rooms remained, though we don't use them any longer. I could hide you there. Not that you asked me for help."

"Is it safe?" Lio asked.

"As houses," Nam-Kyu said. "Not many people remember they're even there. You're Captain of the Guard and you didn't know about them. I've mostly forgotten about them myself. It gets too damp in there, so we don't store anything in the rooms. No one will find you there. There's only one door, no exits."

"Great. Just what I wanted. To die trapped in a damp dark hole," Tam said with a sigh.

"Are you kidding? That's my number one way to go," Hung shot at her, brows waggling. Tam didn't return the smile, and Piandao was encouraged by that. He tried not to be, but he couldn't help it.

"Fine. Storage rooms it is. For now. But what about Pi?" Tam said. "We'll have to hide, but not Pi. Viz set a trap for us, why not set up a trap for him, or whoever the assassin was?"

Piandao understood her completely, and pulled small smile, meeting her eyes. "Tell everyone I was attacked, and when they come to finish the job, then we spring the trap on them. I like it."

"You want to be bait?" Hung scoffed. "You nearly got skewered, man."

"I don't like it either," Tam said, wringing her hands now, as if she had rethought the entire thing. "But... Well, it might work. We didn't see who the assassin was, and Viz is onto us. If we want to catch them, we have to set a trap. Turn the tables on them. What do you think, Pi?"

Piandao met Tam's eye and smiled.

"If you think it's a good idea, Tamarind, then I am willing to try."


	17. Tam

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This takes place during chapter 59 of With Or Without You.

"Are you sure about this?" Tam asked Piandao, her hand on his bare chest. Though Nam-Kyu had already stitched him up, blood was starting to show through the bandages again. Not as much as before, but more than she liked seeing.

She could still feel the buzz of adrenaline and fear rushing through her from the flight across the Caldera, and the fight in the suite. She was still shaking, thinking of how close Piandao had come to getting a sword in the heart.

It was more than that though, as she looked up into his dark gray eyes. She could feel tremors in her spine, the warm heat of desire rushing through her veins at the mere memory of what kissing him had been like.

She hadn't wanted to stop, and she didn't think that he had either. If he hadn't been injured, who knows what she might have done? What _they_ might have done?

 _Probably something wonderful. And stupid,_ she thought dizzily, as Piandao tilted his head a little, his lips curling into a soft smile. It did things to her, that smile. It sent shivers down her spine, and lit her whole heart on fire.

She would happily burn in his arms and she knew it. She just wasn't sure that _he_ knew it. He was still so hard to read. He had kissed her back, but how did he feel about her, _really_ feel about her? He was attracted to her, obviously, but...

This was no time to agonize over her love life, but she couldn't help it. It was a good distraction from the things she couldn't control going on around her.

"I'm sure," Piandao said, his hand over hers on his chest. "We need to draw them out. They were clearly trying to frame you and the Kyoshi Warriors, and I want to know why. They will try again."

"Here's hoping they don't succeed."

"They won't. You won't let them," he said confidently.

"No, I won't," she said and then glanced behind her. Her eyes met Hung's across the wrecked suite. He hadn't said much since they had hashed out the plan, preferring to pace the room, arms crossed over his chest, glowering like a caged animal.

She had a feeling she knew what was bothering Hung, and it had nothing to do with his sudden status as a wanted man. She felt guilt spark in her stomach and shifted uncomfortably, turning back to Piandao.

"Hung and I will both be there."

"He seems angry."

"I don't know what about," she lied, looking down. Piandao gently tipped her chin back up, looking her straight in the eyes in that unflinching way of his.

"You don't?"

"Okay, maybe I do," she mumbled. "He knows how I feel about you."

Piandao took a breath, his hand dropping from her chin. "About that... We should talk. When this is all over."

Her stomach dropped to her toes instantly. "I don't like that tone."

Piandao met her eyes and looked away. "This is not the time for this discussion. We have other worries."

"We _kissed_ , Pi."

"I know... I... Perhaps we shouldn't have, Tamarind," he started, sounding regretful. " _I_ shouldn't have..."

"Why not?" she asked, lifting up a little, trying to capture his eyes. "You didn't want to?"

"I..." Piandao looked at her again and she felt like she was going to spontaneously combust on the spot. "Tamarind, you are..."

"I'm what?"

His hands squeezed hers on his chest, and then he stepped away, letting go of her. "I can't do this, Tamarind. For your own good, forget what happened."

"What?" she whispered, as the door opened, and Lio came back inside of the torn-up suite.

"We'll discuss this later," Piandao said heavily and turned away from her, striding over to Lio and leaving her standing there stunned, with her heart crushed on the floor.

And just like that, she felt like they were right back where they had started, like the kiss hadn't changed anything. He was still just as inscrutable and maddening as ever, playing hot and cold, clearly at war with himself.

He had kissed her, touched her...looked at her like he wanted her more than he wanted to breathe, and...and... And he wanted her to forget that it had happened?

Tam felt dizzy again, the world rushing around her. She couldn't believe it. Didn't want to. Why would he want to pretend they hadn't kissed?

Unless...

_Unless he really doesn't feel the way that I feel. Maybe kissing me was... I don't know... Was it disgusting?_

Her mind ran in stupid little circles, doubting everything all of a sudden. She'd been so sure that he was attracted to her. She'd seen the way he'd looked at her, felt it in his touch. Even Hung had thought so. So had Nam-Kyu when she'd walked in and now...

He'd rejected her.

After she had kissed him.

Her face flamed bright red.

_Oh Spirits...what if he thinks I'm just some stupid little girl with a crush? What if he thinks he's too old for me and I'm too young and I'm... I'm just a dumb little flirt? What if he thinks I'm not serious? What if he's letting me down as gently as he can...because... Because..._

Spirits.

Had she just made a total fool of herself?

Her hand went over her freckled face, feeling the heat there. She turned away from him and found herself staring at Hung, leaning against the wall, watching her with an inscrutable look on his handsome face. He had been watching them. Maybe he had heard her too.

Hadn't he been teasing her about her crush on Piandao this whole time, letting her make a fool of herself...probably knowing that Piandao was too kind to just let her down...

He was probably laughing at her too, but as she met his hazel eyes, all she saw was pity.

And that was so much worse than his laughter would have been.

She had never felt so stupid in all of her life.

She turned away from Hung's pitying eyes, her face still burning like a brand, feeling so spun about she was pretty sure she might cry at any moment. She determined not to, but it felt like she had been gutted, all of her insides torn out and spilled onto the floor for them all to see.

"I sent Nam-Kyu ahead," Lio was saying, nodding at Piandao. "She'll be ready for us when we get to the healing ward. We have a problem there, however."

"Just one?" Hung snorted, one foot up against the wall, his chin tipping up and a sarcastic twist to his lips.

Lio ignored his comment, pulling out two bundles and tossing one at Hung, who gracefully caught it with one hand. "Two servants uniforms. Put them on."

He handed the other one to Tam, who took hers with trepidation. "You think this will work?"

"My men are looking for two guards, not servants. And if you're with me, then they'll keep their attention on me, and not your faces. Hung, I'd shave if I were you. It might help hide your identity."

"Ahh man..." Hung mumbled, his hand rubbing along his neatly-trimmed goatee. "The things I do for the Fire Nation..."

"As for how we're getting to the healing ward..." Lio said, looking stressed. The Captain was putting a lot on the line for them, and Tam knew it. She was grateful they had him on their side. Without Lio, who knew how they would get out of this? "I have an idea..."

A knock sounded on the door, startling Tam into reaching for the sword at her hip. Lio didn't seem alarmed, however, going over to the door, and peering out of the crack. When he stepped back and opened the door so that a thin and fussily-dressed figure could step into the suite, Tam's eyes widened.

"FEN!"

She rushed across the suite, barreling past Lio and Piandao and throwing herself into Fen's lanky arms. Fen staggered back, but steadied, his arms going around her in a tight hug.

"Tam! Are you okay?"

She pulled back and stared at Zuko's secretary. Here was another friendly face, and someone she knew that she could trust. "I'm fine. You?"

"Been better. I've been worried sick about you. They haven't been letting me in to see Suki. Have you seen her?"

"The other day. She's okay. At least, as okay as can be expected. Any news? Anything about Zuko?"

But Fen snorted, anger showing on his thin face. "Are you kidding me? They won't let me anywhere near the Council chambers, or the healing ward. I've been getting all of my gossip from the servants and Captain Lio here. Duke Ru should be in Ba Sing Se by now, though. Hopefully... Hopefully this will all be over soon. If the Fire Lord is alive... Hopefully he comes home soon. For all our sakes."

"Anything else? Please tell me the Grand Sage isn't taking over like I think he is."

"Well, it's all over the palace that he fired Piandao," Fen said, shooting a commiserating look in Piandao's direction. "And now the news that you and Guardsman Hung were seen together, breaking into the palace. The Grand Sage is taking to the Stewardship like a turtle-duck to water. I don't like it one bit."

"Agreed," Piandao said. "He seemed particularly pleased to dismiss me today. And I don't find it coincidental that I was attacked almost immediately afterward."

"You think he planned it? Him and Viz?" Fen asked; clearly Lio had filled the secretary in on what they knew. Piandao nodded, and when Tam turned her eyes on him, he immediately looked away. She felt another drop in her stomach, like she had swallowed a lump of molten lead. "Lots of enemies in this palace these days..."

Tam definitely agreed with Fen. There were too many heads on this monster, and the problem was she felt like they weren't at all close to chopping off the heads. That had to change. She was tired of being lead into traps and hiding from her enemies.

As she stared at Piandao's profile, she thought with a bleak kind of anger, that she wanted nothing more than to fight something. Fight something and _win._

"That's why I fetched Fen. We need a distraction," Lio said. "Someone we can trust."

Fen sighed. "If I get arrested or stabbed for this, you owe me dinner, Lio."

Lio smirked a little, showing that rare humor of his. And something else; Tam saw Lio's ears turn beet red as he met Fen's gaze. "I'll...keep that in mind."

There was heat in Fen's voice when he replied, "See that you do."

"If you two would stop flirting, we're kind of in a time crunch here," Hung said. "What's the plan?"

Fen cleared his throat and looked away from Lio, his ink-stained fingers smoothing down the front of his maroon robes. "I'm going to try to get in to see Suki. While the guards and Lio are dealing with my obstreperous attitude, you two are going to slip in past the grand Sage's guards. Nam-Kyu will smuggle you into the storage room."

"After Fen is dismissed from the ward, I'll help Piandao into a room. And then..."

"Then we wait for our enemies to try and finish me off," Piandao said heavily.

"You think they will?" Hung asked. "They tried to kill Guo and he's still up and kicking."

"For now," Piandao said. "But things will be different this time. I'm going to name Viz as my attacker."

Tam's eyes popped open. "What? Pi, you can't do that! We have no proof!"

"We don't need proof. We just have to pretend that we do. We have to make Viz do something... Break his cover, something..."

But Tam didn't like the sound of that. She didn't like the idea of Piandao being bait, even though it had been her suggestion. The more she thought about it, the more she was sure this was going to wrong.

"What if he doesn't break? What if they don't believe you?" she asked him, and this time Piandao met her eyes, for a long, steady moment that had her blood rushing in her head and her heart squeezing her chest like mad.

"That's a risk I am willing to take. If Viz is our assassin, then he needs to be dealt with. Drawing him out is the only way."

"I don't like this," she said stubbornly, clutching the servant's uniform to her chest. Piandao looked at her for a moment.

"I've made my decision, Tamarind."

She could tell by the tone of his voice that there was no arguing with him. But he was talking about more than just the plan, and she knew it. He had made his decision; she could see it in his eyes. Regret, and apprehension, and pain that had nothing to do with the bandage on his chest.

He really was rejecting her.

"Is that really how you feel?" she whispered.

Piandao swallowed hard and then looked away. "Yes."

She backed away, feeling numb and unsteady. "We should get going then. I'll... I'll go change..."

She turned on her heel, clutching the servant's uniform and feeling like the floor was going to swallow her up. She went into the bedroom, but before she could close the door behind her, a hand shot out, stopping it. Hung stepped inside and closed the door behind him with a soft click.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," she lied. "We should change. And you should shave."

"Yeah," Hung said heavily, tossing his stolen uniform down onto the bed. "That can wait."

Hung's arms went around her and she found herself crushed to his chest. It wasn't a comfortable hug, but she put her head against his chest all the same, eyes squeezing shut.

"You must think I'm an idiot."

"Well, yeah. Of course I do," he joked in her ear. "But that's kind of why I like you."

"Don't flirt with me right now," she said miserably.

"Right... Yeah... Sorry," he said, pulling up back. He cupped her face with one hand and looked into her eyes. A soft smile hit his lips. "I heard what he said."

"Don't. I already feel bad enough."

She felt like her heart was shattering into two, but she was not going to let herself cry. Not right now. There was too much going on. She needed to focus on capturing Viz and...And freeing Suki...and...

And why did it hurt so damned much?

She buried her face against Hung's shoulder again and felt tears burning her eyes.

"What happened?"

"I kissed him, and he... He doesn't want me," she mumbled into his warm skin. She felt Hung's hand in her hair, caressing and soft, the beat of his heart through his chest like distant thunder. Her eyes squeezed shut tightly, shivers racing down her neck.

"You kissed him and he still didn't want you?" Hung said, skepticism dripping from his rumbling voice. "Then he's definitely dead inside, Tam. You kissed me and I haven't been able to think about anything else since. If he doesn't want you, then... He's an old fool."

That didn't make her feel better, but she clung to him all the same. A part of her was listening to Hung, telling her that he was right, that she shouldn't be so torn up inside over someone who didn't want her... But she was. She couldn't stop it.

And that made it all the worse.

"You said you thought he liked me."

"I thought he did, but clearly he's an idiot. A complete fool. A clown. A man who can't see that the most beautiful woman in the Fire Nation is right in front of him... Practically _begging_ him..."

She jerked back, and smacked his wet shoulder. "I don't beg!"

"Mmm... There was a bit of begging. I sensed begging out there. It was very painful to watch."

"Shut up!" she laughed and smacked his shoulder again. He laughed and backed up a step, and she followed, smacking him wherever she could reach. "You are such a jerk!"

"I'm begging you to stop!" Hung said, with a laugh that made her heart feel just a little bit lighter. "Please!"

He caught her hand and she felt his other arm go around her waist, pulling her in close. She hitched in a breath and looked up at him. She suddenly couldn't help but remember what it had been like, kissing him that day in the street. She had liked it. More than liked it.

And so had he.

"Hung..."

Hung lowered his head and his nose brushed hers. "I'm not him, Tam. You already know how I feel."

"I don't think I'm ready for... I, I shouldn't... Right now, it's... Too much going on, and I..." She was flustered, heat racing through her despite everything. Her stupid, hormonal body was once again taking charge of her good sense. She was determined not to let it win this time.

"Don't worry, I'm not going to kiss you, Tam. Not right now."

"Why not?" she asked stupidly, her body betraying her again. Hung smiled softly.

"Take as much time as you need, Freckles. I waited while you figured out what the old man wanted... I figure I can wait until you find out what you want too," Hung said, letting go of her and backing up toward the bathing room door. "And when you do... Well, let's just say I have some promises to keep."

Tam bit her bottom lip, but didn't dare trust herself to respond. Hung winked at her and then ducked into the bathing room, leaving her to put her hand over her face, breathing a little harder than before.

She felt confused, hurt... Heartbroken. Rejected. Like someone had gutted her.

And yet Hung's flirting had soothed a balm inside of her. She didn't know what it meant, or what she should do.

She turned back to the bed, only for the bathing room door to open behind her. Hung charged out, his face a little red.

"Forgot the stupid uniform..." he mumbled, reaching for the bundle. He started to walk back into the bathing room, but she reached out, and grabbed his hand, stopping him.

She stood up on tiptoe and landed a smooth kiss to his lips. She didn't linger, however, dropping down again. Hung's brows rose questioningly.

"Thank you."

Hung glanced at the door to the living room, where Piandao, Fen, and Lio were waiting for them. He looked back at her and then said softly, with a nod. "Anytime, Freckles. Now get dressed. We have some bad guys to fight."

Tam laughed again and let go of his hand. He ducked back into the bathing room, leaving her to reach for her uniform. She held it up and took a breath.

_That's what I need right now. A bad guy I can shove a sword into._

It wouldn't make her broken heart hurt any less, but the idea of putting an end to their enemies made her smile all the same.


	18. Tam

“You know your part. If Fen does this right, no one will look twice at the two of you,” Lio said, surveying the three of them, his hands clasped behind his back.

“Especially me,” Hung mumbled, rubbing at his freshly shaven face. Tam fought the urge to reach up and touch his smooth chin. She'd thought Hung's goatee was stupid the first time she'd seen him, but she'd gotten used it and he looked strange without it. He was still handsome, just...different. “The things I do for you people.”

“It'll grow back,” Piandao rumbled, and Tam turned her eyes on him, her gaze raking across his neatly trimmed beard with amusement. Piandao felt her gaze on him and looked down at her. “Everything will be alright, Tamarind. I promise.”

She looked away; just meeting his eyes was like a punch to the heart. She kept replaying that moment over and over again, when she had kissed him and he had kissed her back. And then later, when he'd rejected her, pushed her away.

 _He doesn't want me,_ she thought. _I need to come to terms with that. I'm a big girl. It's not like I'm... It's not like I'm in love with him or something..._

That thought made her a little short of breath and she took one step closer to Hung, who noticed the movement; she felt his hand on her waist, pulling her even closer. If Piandao noticed that, he didn't say anything, and Tam refused to look at him again.

She needed to focus, after all. And looking at Piandao again would only obliterate what little grasp she had on the here and now.

“We're ready,” she said to Lio, pulling herself up. “Fen should almost be there by now. We should leave now.”

“Try to remember the plan. And keep your heads down. The servant's uniforms probably won't give you as much anonymity as I'd like, but it's the best we can do for the moment,” Lio said, and opened the door of Piandao's suite for them.

Tam nodded and together she and Hung started to walk past Piandao. She refused to look up at him again, but she saw Pi's arm shoot out, grasping hold of Hung's upper arm with a firm grip.

“Keep her safe, Hung.”

Tam looked up at the two of them, and saw Hung smirk a little. “Better than you can, old man.”

And Hung jerked his arm out of Piandao's grip, putting one hand on her back and guiding her out of the room before she could do or say anything. Tam caught a glimpse of Piandao's face before the door closed; he looked like someone had stabbed him in the heart for real this time.

Pain welled up in her instantly, but she shut it down the next moment, whipping around on Hung.

“Why did you say that to him?” she hissed, her feet digging in when Hung would have ushered her down the hallway.

“You know why,” Hung said, grinning. “Don't tell me you didn't enjoy that?”

She hadn't, but she didn't want to admit that seeing Piandao in pain put her in pain too. She thought for sure Hung would be nothing but exasperated with her if he knew the thoughts still running through her head. Even she was a little exasperated.

Because it wasn't like she had fallen in love with Piandao. It _wasn't._

“Let's just get to the damned healing ward,” she growled, and picked up the bucket and mop that Lio had left out in the hall for them. Hung picked up a bundle of towels and together they went off down the hallway, walking side by side.

They didn't get very far before Hung said softly, “You look sexy carrying that mop, Freckles.”

“Stop,” she said with a small laugh.

“Maybe when this is all over we can play sexy maid and messy boy who needs to learn a lesson?”

“I do love a good sexy maid uniform,” Tam mused, as they turned the corner and headed down the stairs. “And you'd look great in a little floofy skirt.”

“I would,” Hung agreed, shooting her a grin. “But I was thinking more along the lines of you wearing the skirt and me getting under the skirt with a feather duster...”

Tam rolled her eyes. “We are wanted fugitives! Stop flirting with me.”

“Spirits, Piandao really rubbed off on you, didn't he? So serious.”

“He didn't rub off on me.”

“His loss.”

She reached out and smacked him with the empty bucket and he laughed all the way down the stairs, until they hit the bottom, and encountered their first set of guards. The guards glanced at them when they heard Hung's laughter, but their eyes seemed only to take in their servant's uniforms and the mop, bucket, and towels they were holding.

Tam held her breath as they walked past the men. She noticed that Hung had pulled the towels up to hide most of his face. There wasn't much chance of the guards recognizing her as there was of them recognizing Hung, even without his goatee. He had worked with most of the guards and knew almost all of them by name, and they knew him too.

This was risky, but what else could they do? With the Grand Sage's men searching the palace from to bottom for the both of them, there was no place they could go within its walls without being found. Their choices were to run, something Tam would never do, or find a safe place. Nam-Kyu's storage rooms were their best bet.

She didn't like hiding, but she liked the thought of being in the dungeons even less. Suki needed her.

And so did Piandao.

She felt that same pain in her chest again, but ignored it. They made their way through the palace, trying to avoid the most crowded corridors. It wasn't easy, but they eventually made their way toward the door of the healing ward.

And then promptly walked into a mad house.

“AS THE FIRE LORD'S PERSONAL SECRETARY I HAVE THE RIGHT TO SEE THE SENESCHAL! THERE ARE IMPORTANT MATTERS THAT WE NEED TO DISCUSS! IS SHE BEING FED? IS SHE EVEN ALIVE? I WON'T BE KEPT OUT OF THIS WARD YOU... YOU _BASTARD PEOPLE_!” Fen screamed in the middle of the room.

It looked like he had been standing there for several minutes, screaming at the tops of his lungs, because his face was bright red, his hair was disheveled, and there were guards all around him.

“LOWER YOUR VOICE!” one of the guards commanded him, pointing one of his spears in Fen's direction. Fen spotted them in the doorway, and then turned back to the guards.

His voice rose to a shrill, indignant crescendo that made Tam flinch.

“I WILL NOT! AND STOP POINTING THAT, THAT _THING_ AT ME!” Fen shouted, and flicked the metal side of the broad spearhead with his fingernail. The metal sang with a wobble. “I WON'T LEAVE UNTIL I KNOW THE SENESCHAL AND THE HEIR ARE BEING TAKEN CARE OF! YOU CAN'T MAKE ME!”

“No one sees the prisoner! By order of the Steward!”

“FUCK THE STEWARD! I WAS CHARGED BY FIRE LORD ZUKO HIMSELF TO OVERSEE THE SENESCHAL'S SAFETY WHILE HE IS AWAY AND I WILL NOT BE DERELICT IN MY DUTIES!” Fen said, lifting one finger skyward. Then he jabbed at one of the guards, turning in a circle to keep the guard's attention on him, and not on the two servants who had entered the ward's waiting room.

“STAND DOWN!” a guard shouted, trying to lift her voice above Fen's shrill shout, but Tam was pretty sure Fen's voice had risen to levels that only reindeer-dogs could hear.

“JUSTICE!” Fen shouted with his fist in the air, and then looked around at the guards around him. “HELP! HELP! I'M BEING OPPRESSED!”

Hung and Tam edged around the guards toward the door to the ward itself. Tam had just reached it when the door swung open and a diminutive figure came barging out, her face purple with rage.

“WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS!?” Nam-Kyu bellowed, her voice somehow stabbing through the din and eclipsing even Fen's shrill shriek.

“This man tried to get in to see the prisoner,” the head guard said, turning to Nam-Kyu. “He threw a fit when he was turned away. Things escalated.”

“I have not yet begun to escalate,” Fen hissed. “I want to see the Seneschal. NOW.”

“And I want peace on my ward. NOW,” Nam-Kyu said, and glanced at the two of them. “Good, I sent for a clean up crew a half an hour ago. Someone spilled tea all over the floor. Clean it up.”

“Yes, ma'am,” Tam mumbled, with her head turned away from the guards. Hung nodded and together they started to scurry past the healer and through the door to the patient rooms, but a guard called out to them.

“Halt! No one is allowed past the check point.”

“It's still my ward, you fat-headed oaf. I won't have you accosting the servants and keeping my ward unsanitary. You have bigger problems at the moment. Clean up the mess. Room ten. End of the hall. NOW!” Nam-Kyu snapped her fingers rapid-fire.

Tam squeaked and darted through the door, with Hung on her heels. The door swung shut, but that didn't drown out the noise on the other side. Fen went back to screaming, and so did Nam-Kyu and the guards.

But no one came to stop them, and that was at least a relief.

“He's good,” Hung said, free a hand from his stack of towels and jerking his thumb toward the door behind them.

“There's a reason he and Zuko get along so well. They're both drama queens,” Tam snorted, glancing at the empty corridor. It was dark, the lanterns on the wall turned down to small flames. Most of the doors to the rooms were closed, save the last room at the end of the hall, whose door was ajar.

“Come on, before they try to stop us,” Hung said, walking toward the open door. Tam followed, but stopped before a door that had a newly installed and heavy-duty lock on it.

She knew Suki was behind that door. Alone and isolated. Scared and pregnant. Tam switched the bucket to her other hand and put her palm against the wooden door.

“We're going to get you out of there, Suki. I promise,” she whispered, but Hung came back, grasping her hand and pulling her toward the room.

“We don't have time for promises we can't keep,” he bit out impatiently. “Lio and Piandao were supposed to be right behind us. We need to get into those storerooms now.”

Tam didn't argue the point, but she glanced back at the door to Suki's room/prison cell, feeling an acute ache that was something like homesickness. She realized just how much she missed her sisters. She had never been apart from the other Kyoshi Warriors for so long.

The worry she had felt over them, and over Zuko, had been something she had been trying not to think about. They were in Ba Sing Se and she was here, facing who-knew-what. It was easier to focus on what was in front of her than to worry about what she couldn't change or help.

But she missed them. Every single one of them. If they were here with her now, there would be no way any of this would have happened.

 _And they wouldn't have let me fuck all of this up_ , she thought miserably. _I'm a trained Warrior, but I'm not exactly the kind of person anyone should rely on. I get too distracted. I'm too flighty. And I let my stupid hormones make my decisions for me._

Well, she already knew that. And so did her sisters.

It didn't make her feel any better, but she was all they had right now. All Suki had. All Ty Lee had. She wasn't going to let anything happen to them.

Maybe it was a promise she couldn't keep, but she'd die trying to keep it. Her sisters would do no less.

The room at the end of the hall looked just like every other room in the ward. Sterile whitewashed walls, a tile floor, a bed, some apothecary cabinets, and a sink with a hand pump. Hung closed the door behind them and tossed his towels down onto the bed, while Tam put her bucket and mop down beside the door.

“She said the trap door was in the corner. Beneath one of the rolling apothecary cabinets,” Tam said, looking around before spotting one of the cabinets in the corner. The cabinet was one of the few on casters and when she gave it a push, it rolled smoothly to the side, revealing an irregular shape in the tile floor, and a metal ring set in the center.

Hung came over and crouched down, grasping the metal ring and give it a yank. It wasn't locked; either they never locked it, or Nam-Kyu had unlocked it for them when she'd come to the ward. It hardly mattered, Tam thought, as she looked into the darkness, spying a rickety-looking wooden latter propped against the lip of the door, leading down into who-knew-what.

It smelled damp and dank, like mildew and water that had been standing for too long. She shuddered to think of the creatures that would call this little hole home.

“Ew,” Tam said, nose wrinkling.

“Not my idea of a romantic spot, but any port in a storm,” Hung said, standing and grabbing one of the lanterns off of a hook on the wall. He went over to the hole and sat down on the lip, swinging his feet over the edge, just as the door opened behind them.

Tam reacted instantly, turning and pulling the fan out of the front of her uniform. She couldn't reach the sword she had put down the back of her shirt and pants before they had left Piandao's bedroom. Hung had helped her, but not after urging her to leave it behind.

She had insisted, however. It was a Kyoshi weapon, and their enemies had already tried to use to kill Piandao. She wouldn't let them put their hands on it again. Besides, she felt safer with it than she did without, even though she could defend herself with the fan. Or without the fan.

She didn't have to worry about defending herself, however, because Nam-Kyu appeared in the doorway, looking harried.

“Good, you found it.”

“The guards?” Hung asked, trying to look past her, but Nam-Kyu had already shut the door with a snap.

“Preoccupied with Fen. Piandao and Lio arrived just as he was gearing up for another screaming fit,” Nam-Kyu said. “I may use that boy to test for deafness in the future. Healthy lungs on that one.”

“Pi's here?”

Nam-Kyu pulled a grimace, walking over to them. “He'll be fine. It's you that is in more danger at the moment. Go one with you.”

Hung glanced down into the storage room, his lip curling a little. “You sure about this? It's not a sewer, is it?”

“I told you, it was damp. That's why we don't use it anymore. It's not a sewer, though. Don't worry your pretty head, guardsman. You'll survive a few spiders, I'd daresay.”

“Spiders?” Tam asked, her voice rising into a squeak.

“Off with you. We haven't got all day,” Nam-Kyu said, shooing them down. Hung took a breath and then looked down into the dark hole again.

“Guess I'll go first.”

“Chivalry isn't dead, imagine that,” Nam-Kyu said dryly, as Hung tossed her an unamused look, then started down the ladder, still carrying the lantern. Tam watched him go, following the light into the darkness. He didn't seem to go down very far, maybe twelve feet. He looked back up at her and she saw his face shining in the light of the lantern.

“Come on, Freckles. You next,” he called up.

“How is it down there?”

“As gross as you can expect, but it's better than a prison cell.”

“I guess,” Tam mumbled as she swung her legs over, but Nam-Kyu caught her arm, stopping her.

“There are grates in the floors. See?” Nam-Kyu said, pointing to a grate near the wall. It was rectangular, narrow, and made of metal.

“I thought you said it wasn't a sewer.”

“It's for excess water when we clean the floors. There are drainage sinks beneath the grates that pump the water out. If you follow the grates across the store room you might be able to hear what is going on in the rooms. Try to keep quiet, though. If you can hear them, they might hear you.”

“Thank you.”

“It's not much, but it's all I can do,” Nam-Kyu said with a sigh. “Now get. I'll cover the trap door behind you. Stay quiet. I'll bring food and water when I can.”

Tam nodded and then lowered herself down the ladder, turning to climb down backward so that she could get a better grip. She felt the damp darkness closing in on her with every rung she descended, until she found herself in a large, dark space, lit up only by Hung's lantern.

“Ew,” she said, looking up at Nam-Kyu, who nodded, and lowered the door again. She heard wheels on the floor and knew that the healer had put the apothecary cabinet back over the trap door.

Tam clung to the ladder, afraid to step off of it for a moment. She felt trapped in a way that she hadn't felt in Piandao's suite. She heard footsteps behind her, and then Hung caught the lantern's small hook on one of the lantern's rungs beside her hand.

“Come on, Freckles,” he said, and he caught her by the waist, lifting her off of the ladder. He set her down and she turned to face him. The shadows nested in the hollows of his square cheeks. She tilted her head back and looked into his hazel eyes.

“I don't like this.”

“Because we're trapped?” Hung said heavily. Clearly he didn't like it either.

“Yes...and...”

A muscle in Hung's cheek twitched. “And because you can't protect Piandao from down here.”

“They tried to kill him once already, Hung,” she said, wringing her hands. “I know this was my idea, but... But it feels wrong. We can't protect him. What if they try it again?”

“Lio has his back. At this point all we'd do is incriminate him by association, Tam. They don't know that you were in his suite doing Spirits know what with him all week and we need to keep it that way. He looks like the innocent victim of an assassination at the moment. All you'd do is get him thrown into a cell with you if they think he had anything to do with harboring you. He'd be in the same place as I am.”

She knew that he was right, but that didn't mean she liked hearing it. And she couldn't help but notice that Hung sounded none too happy about his change in fortune. That was her fault too. He had risked everything to help her, and ended up being a wanted man because of it. She didn't blame him for being annoyed with it. And with her.

Trapped, hunted like an animal, her friends captured and imprisoned and possibly dead, and all she could think about was Piandao, a man who had rejected her. She didn't understand why she couldn't just shake it off.

She sighed and let her head drop forward, against Hung's chest.

“I'm just scared for him.”

Hung didn't say anything, but she could sense that he was holding himself back. She knew what he would have liked to have said though, and she appreciated that he held his tongue. The last thing she needed was for him to remind her over everything that had happened this evening.

“What do we do now?” Hung asked, as his hands sank into the heavy knot of hair gathered on the nap of her neck. Tam forced herself to stop thinking about Piandao, or the pain in her chest.

Pi had rejected her and she had to just deal with that and get over it.

 _It's not like I'm in love with him,_ she thought again, stubbornly. _Because I'm not._

_I can't be._

_Because he doesn't want me._

Tam lifted her head and looked into Hung's eyes.

“We wait. And until then...” she said and then lifted up on tiptoe and kissed him.


	19. Tam & Piandao

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This takes place directly before chapter 65 of With Or Without You.

Hung's arms tightened around her in the dim light of the lantern swinging on the ladder rung at her back. She lifted up to kiss him deeper, trying to still the strange twist in her stomach that wouldn't go away the longer the kiss went on.

He was a good kisser; she already knew that. It felt different though, from the last time. She thought it might be the lack of facial hair; there was something disorienting about it, as if she were kissing the wrong person.

That had to be it.

She kissed him deeper, almost desperately trying to recapture the same feeling she'd had in the street that morning outside of Lady Lian's home. Hung moaned into her mouth and she pressed closer to him, feeling his fingers twisting up in her hair. When his tongue touched hers, she withdrew, feeling her stomach twisting again.

She made a sound, and then stilled, pulling back completely. Hung seemed confused, his lips hovering over hers.

"Tam?"

"I'm sorry, I..." she started, her hand smoothing down his chest. "I just... I shouldn't have done that."

"I think you should have," he said, tilting his head down to kiss her again, but she moved her face away, blowing out a breath.

"I... We can't do this right now, Hung. I'm just upset and my go-to when I'm upset is to make bad decisions."

"So kissing me is a bad decision?"

"Yes. Well, no! But yes. I'm really confused, okay? And this is so not the time."

"You're still confused? Over Piandao?" His voice arched with annoyance, brows drawing low over his eyes. "For real?"

"It's not that..."

"He rejected you, Tam. The man kissed you and walked away. How are you still hung up on him? I don't get it!"

"I'm not hung up on him! I just... We just kissed earlier tonight, and now I'm kissing you, and... And I just need to make some good choices in my life! For once!" she said, walking away from him. His hands dropped away from her, his fists banging against his thighs. He let out a frustrated sigh and looked up at the shadowy stone ceiling above them.

"You can go on about making good choices all you want, Tam. But I think you're completely hung up on him. And I don't get it. He's done nothing but jerk you around this entire time. And I'm standing right in front of you and you only see me when he's hurt your feelings and you want to work out your frustrations. I don't like being used."

"I'm not using you!" Tam hissed, turning around. "I do like you, Hung! I don't kiss men I don't like!"

"Well, that's a relief," he said dryly, walking over to her. "But I'm telling you now, I'm not going to let you use me to get over him. Or to shove it in his face. I'm not a second choice. Especially not behind a guy too bound up in his own issues to see what's right in front of him. I see what's in front of me. And I want it. I want you, Tam."

She stared at him in the lantern light and then looked away. "I can't do this right now. Piandao—"

"Are you in love with him or something?" he asked quietly, making Tam's head come up, eyes wide. Her mouth opened, and then closed. Hung saw the look on her face and then shook his head. "Well, that look says it all, doesn't it?"

"What... I... I didn't... I don't... I'm not in love with him."

"Say that again and sound convincing this time, because I'm not buying it, Tam. Are you serious right now? Are you really in love with him? After he rejected you like that?" Hung said, gesturing toward the ladder, and Piandao somewhere beyond it.

Tam swallowed and backed up another step, one hand over her mouth.

"No, I don't know. I don't... I don't know."

"I thought you just wanted to fuck him," Hung said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "I didn't know it was _true love_."

"Hung! Please... Let's not do this."

"You're in love with the guy so you kiss me to get over him, huh? I don't like being used," Hung mumbled. "I don't like it at all, Tam."

"I'm not using you. I do like you, I just..."

"Yeah, you're confused. I got that."

"Can we do this later? Please? Nam-Kyu said we could hear things through the grates. We have to be quiet or they'll hear us."

"Hung looked up at the ceiling again and then rubbed at his neck. "Fine. Yeah. Let's talk about you using me later. If we live through this. I got to tell you, if we're going to be stuck in this storeroom for long, we're going to have this fucking conversation eventually."

Tam felt her stomach twist again and didn't like it one bit. She knew she'd fucked up. Again.

She hadn't meant to hurt Hung. She knew that he liked her. She liked him too. He was funny and smart. He made her laugh. He was attractive.

Everything she could ever want, really.

But she couldn't get the thought of Piandao out of her head, nor dismiss the memory of what kissing him had been like. He had kissed her back. She had felt it. He'd kissed her when she kissed him. It hadn't been nothing...

But he'd rejected her, all the same.

Maybe Hung was right. Maybe she was making a fool of herself over someone who had made his feelings for her pretty well known. And yet...

 _I'm not in love with him_ , she repeated to herself again _. I'm not._

To avoid following that maddening train out of thought, Tam grabbed the lantern and started walking across the storeroom, illuminating the walls. It was a large storeroom, probably the size of the entire ward, with stone pillars every few feet.

She could see why Nam-Kyu didn't use it any longer; the stones beneath her feet were slick with moisture, and she had to step over the grates where the water ran down and out through the palace's modern sewer system.

That sewer system had been a shock to her senses when she'd moved here from Kyoshi Island. She'd never seen anything so elaborate in her life. But that wasn't surprising, given the technology the Hundred Year War had brought to the world, especially the Fire Nation. What a little running water and sewage system when they'd mastered air travel?

She stepped over a grate and looked up, spotting a narrow rectangle of light high above her. She couldn't see much, just a weak like showing through in slits. She'd found one of the grates in the patient rooms, then.

She struggled to hear anything, but all was quiet. So she moved down, following the drains in the floor. Hung wasn't far behind, keeping back and mumbling to himself. He seemed annoyed. She didn't blame him.

She felt awful for what she'd done and how she'd reacted. He had every reason to be angry with her.

One of these days I'm going to make a smart decision and immediately die of the shock, she thought darkly, finding another grate in the floor. She stopped, cocking her head to the side and listening. She heard footsteps somewhere above her, but they were muffled by the thick stone floors and tiles. Then, out of nowhere, she heard a muted voice.

She recognized Piandao's rumbling right away.

And realized, with a gasp of shock, that he was in trouble.

* * *

Piandao walked into the ward, supported on one side by Captain Lio. He didn't need the help—his wound still ached with each step, but he wasn't that badly injured—but he and Lio had decided to play up the attack a bit. If their enemies thought that he was more injured than he was, they would underestimate him.

And if they did, he'd be ready to prove that there was still life in his old bones after all.

 _Not enough life left to get what I really want,_ he thought darkly, as Lio helped him into the ward. _Not enough to tell her that I love her._

His thoughts of Tam, which he'd been obsessively running through his mind since she'd left with Hung, blew out of his head in an instant, however, when he got a good look at the bedlam in the waiting room before him.

Fen was standing in the middle of a group of guards, screeching like an angered hog-monkey, bristling at the spears and handfuls of flame pointed right at his face. He didn't look cowed by the show of force, gesticulating wildly to make his point.

"IF FIRE LORD ZUKO COULD SEE THIS YOU WOULD ALL BE FIRED ON THE SPOT!" he shouted, and then turned to the door. He spotted Lio and Piandao and pointed at them. "YOU! Captain Lio, I insist upon seeing the Seneschal! It's been days since I was allowed to see her. I will not leave until I find out if she's okay!"

"Unfortunately, Fen," Lio said evenly. "The Grand Sage...Steward...has ordered that the Seneschal have no visitors other than himself or a member of the Council. As you are not on the Council I cannot allow you in to see her."

Fen huffed out a breath. "I see. I suppose you'll be arresting me now? Your men have been very rude to me, but they haven't quite gotten around to manhandling me to a dungeon. Yet."

"Sir?" one of the guards asked, waiting for Lio's permission. But Lio shook his head.

"I don't think arresting the Fire Lord's secretary for attempting to check up on the Seneschal's welfare is necessary. However, Fen, if you enter this ward again, my men have full permission to arrest you on the spot. If that happens, I'll be sure to manhandle you into a dungeon myself."

Fen's eyebrow quirked and his shoulders dropped. He glanced at the ward door, a look of quiet dignity on his face that was almost hysterically funny to Piandao considering the ruckus he and Lio had walked in on. Piandao hadn't had much interaction with the Fire Lord's right hand man before, but he liked him, and he'd just prove himself a staunch ally. And an accomplished distraction maker.

"Fine."

"Are we understood, Fen?"

"Yes, Captain."

"Then please return to your quarters. I have other matters to attend to," Lio said, as the guards dropped out of their stances. The butts of spears hit the floor, and handfuls of flames were extinguished with little puffs of smoke and the lingering scent of ash.

"Yes, Captain," Fen said, and then he sailed through the doors behind Lio and Piandao with his head held high, not at all visibly cowed by Lio's rebuke. Then again, Piandao was pretty sure the two of them had been flirting with each other the entire time. He found that amusing too. Someone like Fen would be good for Lio, who could be a bit of a stick in the mud.

 _So can I, as it comes to that_ , he thought darkly and then he couldn't help but think of Tam again, with a longing in his guts that was nearly as painful as the still sluggishly bleeding wound on his chest that Nam-Kyu had stitched up. _She's been good for me... And I lost her..._

No, he hadn't lost her. He had pushed her away. For her own good. She had left with Hung and he'd seen the looks Hung had given her. Hung wanted her. And unlike himself, Hung didn't seem shy about his feelings for her. He'd act on them—hadn't he already?—and Tam would forget all about him and the kiss they'd shared.

It was for the best. It was what he'd wanted, wasn't it?

Then why did it feel like he was dying with every step? Why did it feel like he'd made the worst decision of his life by pushing her away?

"Is there a problem, Captain?" one of the guard's asked, glancing at Piandao. It wasn't hard to see what the problem was; Piandao hadn't bothered with a shirt, and the bandage across his chest was staining scarlet, bleeding through the stitches.

"Yes. Counc— _Master_ Piandao has been attacked in his suite. We think it was another assassination attempt."

The guard looked startled. "That Kyoshi Warrior?"

"No," Piandao said, shaking his head. "It was Captain Viz of the Caldera Guard."

A hush fell over the waiting room, as the guards took in his accusation. Some of their faces filled up with disbelief, but no few of them looked shocked and angry at the news. He hoped that meant that they were on his side. Who knew who was in on the scheme? He couldn't trust any of them.

The truth was, he only suspected that Viz had been the one to attack him in his suite. It could have been someone else, but the only way they were going to draw Viz out was to name him and force him to prove his whereabouts. Perhaps he'd slip up, and perhaps he'd go after Piandao again.

It wasn't a great plan, but if he was going to have a target on his back, he'd rather be in on it, and choose his battleground for his enemies. At least Lio had his back.

"Are you sure, Councilman?"

"It's Master Piandao," he said, letting exhaustion and pain into his voice. He didn't have to pretend too hard; he felt emotionally wrung out. "And yes, I'm sure."

"Come, you need medical attention," Lio said, and another guard rushed over to put a shoulder beneath Piandao's other arm. Together they walked with him over to the ward door, where he hoped Hung and Tam had already disappeared through while Fen had been causing his loud distraction.

The minute the door opened, they saw Nam-Kyu step out of the room on the end of the hall, closing the door firmly. She turned and spotted them, her brows climbing her wrinkled forehead.

"Oh, look. More trouble on my ward tonight," Nam-Kyu said tiredly.

"He's injured," Lio said unnecessarily. The other guard didn't need to know that Nam-Kyu had already patched him up earlier that night.

"Into a room with you then," Nam-Kyu said, opening the fourth door down and gesturing them inside. Piandao noticed the lock on the door to Suki's room and felt his stomach give another sick twist. He wished he could knock all of the guards on their asses and smash in the door. He didn't like knowing that Suki was at the mercy of their enemies. Having her trapped here, even if it was slightly better than the dungeons, made him more uneasy with every passing moment. Even with the guards on her.

Because he could not trust the guards.

It would be all too easy for one of them to slip into her room and...

He didn't want to think about the possibilities. He had to focus on the here and now. And right now he had to focus on baiting Viz.

"You, bring the Grand... Steward. Luzhuo. And send for the rest of the Council. Clearly, the plot against the Council is still ongoing if this attempt on Piandao's life is any indication," Lio said as he helped Piandao down onto the bed in the center of the room. "I want Viz arrested and brought here right away."

"There will be no need for that, Lio," said a familiar voice behind Lio. Piandao looked up from the bandage on his chest and found himself staring at Guo. He was shocked to see him up and about. Just days ago he had been lying in a bed in the ward, unconscious, but now he looked, tired and ashen-faced, but as sharp-eyed and alert as he had ever been at the same time.

Piandao frowned. "Guo? What are you doing here?"

"I had a visitor earlier tonight in my office who told me a fantastic tale. He told me he was attacked. By you, Piandao."

Piandao's eyebrows lifted. "What?"

"Captain Viz said you, that Kyoshi Warrior, and one of your guards lured him to an abandoned house in the Caldera. You attacked him, but he managed to injure you. A slice across the chest, he said."

Guo's eyes fell on Piandao's chest, where the blood was spreading in a horizontal line on the white bandage. Piandao's jaw hardened.

"That is a lie," Piandao said with a growl in his voice. "He attacked me wearing a mask in my own quarters. You can ask Lio."

"Did you witness the fight, Lio?"

"No," Lio said fairly, glancing at Piandao and then back again. "His suite did look like there had been a fight in it, however. A violent one."

"I know for a fact that there was a violent altercation, but not as he'd like you to believe," Guo said softly.

"Viz is lying to you, Guo."

"Please, I don't want more violence in my ward," Nam-Kyu said harshly, but Guo ignored her.

"Where is Viz? If he wants to accuse me, let him do it to my face."

But Guo shook his head.

"I questioned Viz myself. It seems you've taken an interest in the investigation into the massacre at Lady Lian's home. You sent your guard to assist Viz, but he told me he started to suspect your guard of foul play. He seemed to know too much about the murders. Hung, that's his name. Hung. He's the one they're searching for now, aren't they? The one they saw that Kyoshi Warrior with earlier this evening? He was assigned to your special detail, wasn't he, Piandao?"

Piandao realized with a sinking feeling in his gut that he was trapped. They'd wanted to set a trap for Viz, but Viz had outfoxed him. Viz, or more likely, the man he was working for. Luzhuo? Probably. It seemed like the kind of thing Luzhuo would do.

Luzhuo hated Piandao. He always had, ever since he had presided over the sham of trial that had left Piandao scarred for life. Luzhuo had fired him from the Council that afternoon. Luzhuo had then had Viz lure Hung, and Tam, out of the palace.

He hadn't reckoned on Piandao surviving the assassination attempt, obviously. But he'd been prepared for it. He'd sent Viz to Guo. Guo, a man who had survived his own assassination attempt. What lies had Viz spun for Guo?

Piandao gritted his teeth and stood. He wasn't unarmed; there was a knife strapped to his belt, but he didn't draw it.

"Guo, listen to me... They're trying to frame me the same way they framed the Seneschal. I had nothing to do with this."

"Frame you as they did the Seneschal?" Guo said softly, looking thoughtful. "You believe she's innocent."

"I know she is. She saved your life, Guo! If she had wanted you dead she would have left you bleeding on the floor, but she didn't! She saved your life! She's innocent."

"There is evidence against her. And we're finding more and more every day. Such as tonight, Piandao. I've sent men to your suite to find the evidence of the conspiracy you've hatched with the Seneschal. You're working with her. We've already been into your office and found a Kyoshi uniform in a locked drawer of your desk. You've been harboring the fugitive, Tam. Haven't you?"

"Viz is lying."

"Why would the man lie to me with his last breath?" Guo asked, and Piandao stilled.

"What did you say?"

"Viz is dead. You gave him a mortal wound. He told me about everything before he succumbed to his wounds in my office. He knew he was dying and didn't bother going to the ward for help. He knew it couldn't wait. He wanted me to know the truth of what you did, the scheme you hatched with your guard and that Kyoshi Warrior."

"Guo..."

"You'll pay for your crimes, Piandao. We'll find that Kyoshi Warrior and drag her into the dungeons. That I promise you!" Guo said, and something in Piandao snapped with a hard crack.

He looked down at the floor, and then his head came up. He stared Guo straight in the eyes and smiled.

"You touch Tamarind and I'll kill every single person in this palace. Starting with you."

"Dammit," Nam-Kyu breathed, her eyes slamming shut.

Guo smiled slowly, knowing that he had Piandao now, that he had just admitted to harboring Tamarind. Piandao didn't care.

Guo was either in on the whole thing, or Viz had duped him. It didn't matter. He wasn't going to believe him, and he knew that, like Suki, they would find the evidence of his supposed crimes in his suite. There was nothing he could say in his own defense.

He had played right into their hands, hoping to set a trap, and stumbling right into one he should have seen coming.

The trouble was, Piandao had absolutely no intention of going down without a fight.

"Luzhuo was right. Once a traitor, always a traitor," Guo said softly.

He and Guo stared at one another for one intense moment. Then Piandao snatched the sword off of Lio's belt, pulling it with a flourish. He brought it down onto the back of Lio's head and the Captain of the Royal Guard immediately crumbled to the ground at Piandao's feet, unconscious, but alive.

Maybe Lio would thank him for that later, but he doubted it.

Piandao lifted the sword and his brow arched, as the other guard who had helped him into the room pulled his weapon. Guo shouted for more guards, moving out of the doorway. He heard Guo shout for them to arrest him, to take him alive, but he tuned it out.

"Come on then," Piandao said calmly, his stance deceptively casual as he stood before the guards filling the small room. He saw Nam-Kyu at one of the apothecary cabinets, but ignored her, wishing that she would run for safety. He didn't get a chance to tell her to leave, however, before the guards rushed him.

* * *

"NO!" Tam shouted, barreling past Hung, who tried to grab at her arm. She rushed across the storeroom, her feet sliding on the damp, slick stones, and skidded to a halt in front of the rotted wooden ladder.

"Tam! What are you doing?"

"You heard them! They're going to arrest him!" Tam said, climbing the ladder to the top and putting her shoulder and the back of her head against the trap door. The door itself wasn't that heavy, but she knew that Nam-Kyu had put the rolling apothecary table over it again to hide it from prying eyes.

The door didn't budge, no matter how hard she shoved. Sweat broke out over her skin, and she breathed in desperate pants, pushing and shoving with all of her might. She got it open a few inches, but then it banged back down.

"It's no use! I can't move it! Hung! Can you try?"

"Dammit..." Hung snarled. "If we get arrested and killed for that old bastard I'm going fucking kill the both of you for dragging me into this!"

Tam put her feet on either side of the ladder and slid down the sides in a dizzying rush, letting the lantern fall to the ground. It shattered on the stones as she landed, and oil splashed across the floor, catching fire in a creeping wave. It would burn out soon, and if it did, they'd be in almost total darkness.

She didn't plan on being in there long enough for that to happen.

"Complain later, use those big muscles now!" Tam said, shoving Hung at the ladder. He launched himself up it, taking it two rungs at a time. He got his shoulders and head into it the same way she did, and with a massive grunt, he shoved at the trap door.

She knew he was making progress when she saw a slowly growing crack of light. With another burst of strength, Hung lifted his arms, and there was a crashing bang overhead as the apothecary cart upended and landed on the floor. He threw the trap door open and looked down at her.

"Come on, Freckles. Let's rescue your old man before he gets himself killed," he said, and scrambled out of the trap door. She was right behind him, climbing with a rush. He pulled her up and out, and they slipped and skidded across the spilled contents of the apothecary cabinet, over glass and bandages, medicines, and medical instruments.

Tam pulled the sword from the back of her shirt as she did so. It felt good to have it in her hand. Sharp. Steady. A weapon of Kyoshi.

Hung pulled his own sword out of the back of his shirt as well, and together they rushed into the corridor, straight into a melee. Tam saw with a shock that Piandao had already made it out into the corridor, and from the looks of the men bleeding at his feet, he wasn't taking it easy on them.

The door had been broken off of its hinges, and Tam watched as Piandao spun, kicking a guard in the face, and then dodging a fireball that went straight for his head. The fireball sailed past him, and straight at Tam and Hung.

Tam gasped and grabbed Hung, yanking him down by the front of his shirt. The fireball exploded on the wall behind him with a hot pop. Her head went up again and she saw Piandao's sword raise up sparks as he fended off three spears at once.

A spear went for his unprotected side, and Tam screamed, barreling forward. Her sword sliced through the air, catching the spearhead with a clang. She turned it away from him, and then elbowed the nearest guard in the face.

"Tamarind! Stay back!" Piandao yelled but she ignored him, spinning so that her back was to him in the corridor.

"Yell at me later!" Tam said over her shoulder. Piandao didn't argue the point. There were too many weapons and too much fire around them. Tam ducked a punch, and slammed her sword into someone's arm. Blood sprayed but she didn't stop see who she'd hit. As far as she was concerned the guards were the enemy now. They had been ordered to kill them; she could see that in the patterns of their attacks.

Guo was somewhere shouting orders, but she couldn't tell where. She tried to find Hung, and finally spotted him headbutting a guard, and then stabbing him through. He dropped the body and turned on her.

"Watch out!"

She turned and caught the edge of a blade, just as it swung down toward her neck. She turned the blow and spun in beneath the guard's arm, hitting her in the face with the heel of her palm. Her head reeled back, and Piandao's foot caught her in the stomach.

The guardswoman was launched into the other guards swarming at them through the door to the waiting room. Someone had called for back up.

Hung appeared at her elbow, blood dripping down his face, panting. "This sucks!"

"Tired already, boy?" Piandao said, though he was nearly as out of breath as Hung.

"We can't fight here...it's a death trap," Tam said. "We need to fight our way out of this corridor or we're all dead."

"We wouldn't be if we'd stayed in that damned cellar like we were supposed to!" Hung snarled, glancing behind him into one of the rooms; someone had kicked the door open. The room was empty, but she could see pale blue light in the room.

Then she remembered: Windows! There were a few rooms on the ward that had windows!

"We can get out!" Tam said, as the guards came down the hall at them again. "Come on!"

Just as they did, a tiny figure skidded into the hallway between them and the guards.

"This is my fucking ward!" Nam-Kyu shouted, and threw something at the ground at the guard's feet. It was a glass vial, filled with something muddy brown that turned bright mustard yellow as the glass shattered, and smoke immediately billowed up in a noxious cloud. The guards coughed, choking on the acrid stench. Tam's hand went over her mouth as Nam-Kyu turned, a handkerchief to her mouth.

"You'd better run, that won't hold them for long," the old healer said, her bony finger gesturing to the door at their back.

Tam took the hint immediately, running into the room, with Hung and Piandao hot on her heels. She saw Nam-Kyu rush after them, but one of the guards, coughing from whatever Nam-Kyu had thrown on the floor—which was obviously not poisonous, just smelly and blinding—grabbed the healer by the scruff of the neck and tossed her down on the floor.

She landed with a sickening crunch and Tam screamed her name.

"NAM-KYU!"

She went for the old woman on the floor, her heart in her throat, but the guard was just as fast, launching a fireball at her. She rolled to avoid it, and it scorched itself across the tiled floor.

Tam landed in a crouch as other guards came into the room. One of them grabbed at Nam-Kyu, who was moaning weakly, obviously in pain. She clutched at her hip.

"Let her go!"

"Lay down your arms!" the guard commanded. "Now! By order of the Steward of the Fire Nation, I command you to lay down your arms!"

Tam met Nam-Kyu's pain-filled eyes for a long moment. The look on the healer's face told her not to comply, but she knew she couldn't let them hurt the woman any further. Tam stood.

"Alright. Just don't hurt her," she said, dropping her sword onto the floor with a clatter.

"Tam, no!" Hung said, but she ignored him.

"Kick it here!" the guard commanded.

Tam shoved it with her foot, and the sword skidded across the floor and landed at the guard's feet.

"The rest of you, drop your weapons. No one else needs to get hurt tonight," Tam said to the others, looking over her shoulder at them. Piandao was clutching his bleeding chest, where he had clearly ripped a few stitches. He didn't look like he was ready to give up.

And neither did Hung.

"Like hell they do!" Hung said, pulling the knife from Piandao's hip and throwing it at the guard who had Nam-Kyu.

The knife took him in the throat so fast Tam nearly blinked and missed it. Blood sprayed out of his mouth and he dropped Nam-Kyu again; she landed in a broken heap on the floor and didn't move again; Tam thought she had passed out.

The guard garbled out a sound, his bloody mouth open as he choked on his own blood. He clutched at his throat, and then went down onto his knees, keeled over and lay still.

The guards in the doorway behind him looked up. Tam glanced down at her sword, now beneath the guard's body on the floor.

"Shit..."

She went for the sword, as the guards rushed into the room. She knew she'd never make it, though. She was right. A sword came arching down toward her, only to get turned away at the last second as Piandao got in between her and the blade.

He fought with the guard, then another, as they swarmed into the room. Hands caught Tam just as her fingers found the grip of her sword, but she lost it as she was dragged to her feet.

"Come on!" Hung said, dragging her back toward the window.

"Pi!"

Piandao glanced at her and then turned back to the fight. He sliced at one guard and then turned to get another. As he did, a spear came out of nowhere, thrusting through the mass of guards, and digging into Piandao's side.

Piandao cried out, teeth gritted.

"PIANDAO!" Tam screamed, trying to push Hung's arms off of her, but he locked them around her, dragging her backward again.

"Tamarind... Run..." Piandao said, turning his head toward her. Their eyes locked for a moment. Then, with a mighty heave, Hung launched them backwards into the window glass. It shattered, and Tam screamed as they tipped over the edge of the window and into the warm night air, Piandao's name on her lips.


	20. Tam & Piandao

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This takes place during chapters 65 - 67 of With Or Without You.

Tam hit the ground in a rush, rolling painfully across the hard stones and landing half-on Hung's shoulder. Glass glittered around her, crunching in her hair, and beneath her palms as she tried to get up. She could feel hot blood running down her face from a dozen slices, and there was a searing pain in her ankle that she was afraid to even look at.

“Piandao...” she muttered, a little dazed, her hair loose in her eyes. “We have...”

“Run!” Hung barked, rolling to his feet, and grabbing her before she could so much as blink. “Come on! Get up, Freckles! They're right behind us!”

“But Piandao!”

“We can't help him now! You heard him! We run for it, or we die like him!”

“Don't say that!” Tam said, but Hung grabbed her by the hand and yanked her across the courtyard toward the outer wall.

“Come on! You're a freaking Kyoshi Warrior! I know you know every way out of this palace. How do we get out of here?”

“We have to go back for Piandao!” she said stubbornly, shaking her hair, and making a cascade of glass shards rain down onto the ground around her.

“We go back and we're dead. You get that? He's either already dead or captured, and even if we go back, he took a freaking spear in the side! I'm no healer. We get him somewhere safe and he'll die from us trying to doctor him up. At least here he has a chance!”

That sobered her up immediately. She didn't want to think about Piandao dying—couldn't even imagine it—but she knew that he was right. If they went back, what could she do for him? There were healers there. They would save him if they could...

“There's a tree,” she said shortly, biting back the panic in her. She'd deal with all of this later, when she had a moment. When they were safe. When they could regroup and plan and go back for Piandao.

She grabbed Hung's hand and together they ran across the darkened courtyard toward the outer wall of the palace. She found the tree she was looking for, and scrambled up the trunk as silently as she could.

Suki had insisted that all of them know every possible way in and out of the palace backward and forward. They had shored up a lot of the security risks over the years, especially in the last year, since Suki had been made Seneschal over the entire palace.

This tree was a security risk, but only for someone escaping the palace grounds. It was unlikely anyone would break into the palace from the outside this way, as they couldn't even reach the branch that overhung the wall without a large ladder. The tree had remained only because of its age and size, and because of the difficulty even climbing it presented.

It wasn't easy during the day, and it was even more difficult at night. She managed it with ease, but Hung was not so stealthy. But he managed the climb up the trunk of the gnarled old tree with a lot of sweating and only mild groaning.

She looked for guards as they climbed, and saw some in the distance. Here in the trees, they weren't likely to be spotted unless someone was looking for them. Not unless they screwed up even more than they already had.

“There's about an eight foot drop to the top of the wall. We can run along the wall to just below that guard tower,” she said, pointing to the tower in the distance. “If they don't spot us on top of the wall, we can climb down there. There's a blind spot.”

“Lead the way, Freckles.”

The thief's moon had gone, sunk below the horizon. She could smell dawn and feel it in the dampness of the air. The sky was lightening up toward the east, but they had at least an hour until dawn broke over the caldera. Just long enough to make the shadows still clinging to everything work for them.

She pushed aside her worry for Piandao and concentrated, watching through the dew-slicked leaves of the tree as a patrol of guards came and went not far from them. The minute they disappeared, she signaled to Hung, and then dropped down off of the branch and landed smoothly on top of the wall.

Hung followed her, landing heavily beside her. He would have fallen off of the narrow top of the wall if she hadn't grabbed at him, steadying him.

Once he was steady, she pivoted and ran for the guard tower. The faster they go there, the better. Hung followed on her heels; she could hear his heavy breathing. It was too loud, but there was nothing she could do about it.

When they reached the guard tower, she slowed, watching the light in the windows. But there was no guard there, watching them back. She had expected a watcher to raise the alarm, but luck was apparently on their side.

The tower jutted out of the wall creating a small area between the wall and the tower that was not scalable from the ground, but from the top...

“Watch what I do, then do that,” Tam said to Hung, and then lowered herself down over the ledge and into the narrow space between the wall and the tower. Fingers digging into the ledge, she put her feet against the wall and then launched herself at the tower, twisting in place.

She landed against the tower with a crack, slid, and then launched herself off of it again, back toward the wall. Two more times she landed, slid, and launched, scraping her already bleeding hands open, and banging her knees on the wall. It wasn't elegant, but the palace wall was thirty feet high and bruised knees and scraped hands were better than broken ankles.

She slid the last two feet and hit the ground. When she looked up, Hung's face was tiny as he crouched over the small space.

“Are you shitting me?”

“Shhh! HURRY!” Tam said, looking left and right, but the wide square around the palace was empty. She didn't like the look of that; there were supposed to be Caldera guards patrolling. The whole palace had seemed way too empty for her liking; perhaps the word hadn't gone out that there had been a fight in the healing ward yet.

That meant it was only a matter of time before the word spread the patrols increased.

She could hear Hung mumbling, but couldn't make out what he was saying, as he lowered himself over the ledge, holding on the way she had. He put his feet against the wall, and launched himself at the tower. When he twisted, he didn't quite make it, banging the tower wall with his shoulder.

“FUCK!”

Tam bit back her own scream of warning, as Hung scrambled at the wall, sliding down it with a loud scrape. He stopped fifteen feet from the ground, however, his hand catching on a jutting stone. Sweating, he looked down at her.

“OW!”

“At least you didn't fall.”

“Yet,” he said in a strained voice, putting his feet against the wall. Then he found another stone with his other hand and, sweating, straining, cursing under his breath, he managed to climb down another five feet. Ten feet from the ground, he looked down at her, took a breath, and then jumped off of the wall.

He landed in a tumble, his knees buckling. She didn't let him rest, scooping one arm beneath his shoulder and helping him to his feet.

“I am never doing that again.”

“I wouldn't say you did it the first time,” she shot at him, and he growled in annoyance. “At least you didn't break anything. Where do we go now? There's no way we're getting out of the Caldera without scaling the cliffs and they'd spot us as soon as the sun came up. We need someone place to hide.”

Again.

It felt like all she'd been doing since this whole thing had begun was hide. She was tired of hiding. She wanted to fight.

She wanted to rescue Piandao.

She felt pain seize her heart, as she glanced back up at the palace walls. She knew other ways into the palace, easier ways than scaling walls and taking thirty foot drops. She'd take those ways eventually, and when she did, the people standing between her and the people she loved would regret it.

“I have an idea about that,” Hung said, grabbing her hand in his own.

“That house Viz took us to?”

“No. They might check there. There's somewhere else... Come on...”

It wasn't easy, running across the wide open space that surrounded the palace in a large ring. There were watchtowers all along the walls, like the one above them. The large ring had been designed that way, so that no one could approach or flee from the palace without being seen.

That worked against them now, as they ran toward the streets of the caldera. The empty guard tower they'd escaped beside was not the only tower within sight, but no one raised up a cry, and by the time they got across the wide space and into the caldera streets, she realized that maybe they hadn't been spotted at all.

She didn't like that. She didn't like that one bit, though she couldn't say why.

Her unease didn't settle down as they left the ring behind, and ran down the streets. There were no caldera patrols to be seen.

“It's too quiet,” Tam said. Hung shrugged.

“Better for us.”

But she didn't think that was true. There was something wrong. She didn't know what, but she could feel it in her bones. Her feeling of unease grew when Hung pulled her into an alley, and straight toward a familiar stone wall, overhung with peach trees still in bloom. The scent of rotting peaches filled the air, or maybe that was just the stench of death.

“Are you serious?” Tam asked, looking up at the darkened hump of Lady Lian's now-empty home. “Here?”

“They carted the bodies off days ago. They already cleared the crime scene and took all of the evidence. No one will be coming back here for at least a week, maybe more. That gives us time.”

“Time for what?”

But Hung didn't answer, opening the back gate with ease. She thought someone had left it unlocked, but when she saw the gate, she realized that someone had already broken it open before they'd gotten there. The lock dangled, the wood splintered from the force of the blow that had broken it. She felt chills roll down her spine.

“That's how they got in,” she whispered, but Hung shrugged.

“At least we don't have to climb another wall. Or a tree,” he said, closing the gate and then putting a potted plant in front of it. “This will keep it closed though.”

Lady Lian's garden still looked immaculate, though her gardener had been one of the victims of the massacre that had taken her entire household. So much had happened since that morning, so much pain and suffering and fear, that the tragedy of the massacre had faded for her a little bit. Being back there, surrounded by the quiet beauty of Lian's garden, it all rolled over her again.

Hung didn't seem bothered by the air of death and eerie quiet that clung to the house, walking briskly up to the back door, and rooting around in a flower pot beside the door. When he came up with a key, she frowned.

“I saw Viz put it here after they cleared the house,” he said, seeing the look on her face in the predawn gloom. “Come on.”

He unlocked the door, and it creaked open. Tam didn't want to go inside. She had never been afraid of death, or even dead bodies, but there was something ominous about the house. Or maybe that was just her unease over the lack of security on the palace and in the caldera. There was just a feeling wrongness about everything, a liminal air that seeped from the foundations and into her frayed nerves.

The air in the house smelled of lemons and soap, and she saw with a catch in her breath, that someone had tried, and failed, to clean up a bloodstain right there in the kitchen. Someone had been killed there, their life destroyed in a bloody pool on the floor in the middle of the otherwise immaculate and beautiful kitchen.

Tam caught a breath again, staring at the bloodstain on the floor, unable to move. Hung didn't seem to notice, closing the backdoor and locking it. Then he went to the windows drawing the curtains against the slowly rising daylight threatening the world.

“The cleaners already came. They sent the bodies to the Grand Temple already. Who knows when they'll be able to hold funerals? We've got this place to ourselves for a while. At least a week, probably more.”

“We left him,” Tam said softly, staring at the bloodstain on the floor. “I left him.”

“You did what you had to do, Freckles,” Hung said, sighing. He came over to her and she found herself being folded up in his arms. He smelled of sweat and fire, but it was overwhelmed by the smell of the lemons and soap on the air. She looked past his bloody arm at the stain on the floor that would probably never come out.

Tears ran down Tam's stinging face, dripping off of her lips as she stared at the stain. Her hair had been torn out of its neat knot at the back of her neck, and trailed down her shoulders and clung to her sweaty face. There was a stitch in her side, and one of the guards, she was just now noticing, had gotten in a few good hits somewhere during that fight in the hallway.

She ignored the pain, ignored the sting of the glass in her skin and the burn in her ankle that hadn't gone away. Ignored everything but the memory of Piandao taking that spear in the side. The way his stormy gray eyes had found hers from across the room. The sound of desperation in his voice as he'd told her to run.

_Begged her._

He had tried to protect her. And she had left him there to die.

“What if he's dead?”

“He'll live to annoy us another day, I guarantee that. It sounded like they were going to arrest him.”

“Did you hear what Councilman Guo said? He said Viz was dead. Did you believe him?”

Hung's expression darkened immediately, and he pulled back, looking stunned. “Guo said that?”

“Yeah, you didn't hear? When we were in that cellar, I heard him accusing Piandao of killing him. Why do you think I ran for the exit?”

Hung frowned. “I didn't hear that... Are you sure?”

“Yes. He said Viz told him he fought Piandao at the house Viz lured us to—but that Piandao had lured him there instead. Viz was injured in the fight, and went to Guo to warn him that Piandao was a traitor. Guo said he died in his study. That's why he came to arrest Piandao.”

Hung pulled away from her, pacing the floor. “We know Piandao didn't set Viz up, though. So why would Viz go to Guo to warn him about Piandao?”

“Better question, how did Viz get mortally wounded. We both saw that assassin in Pi's suite. He wasn't injured, at least not mortally. How did Viz end up dead on Guo's floor?”

Hung ran his hand through his hair, which was also coming down from its topnotch. Glass rained down as he did, and he winced, his hand encountering a dozen little scratches, and several that were still bleeding freely. They were both covered in bruises and cuts, and the more she stood on her ankle, the more it burned.

“I don't know,” Hung said slowly. “You believe Guo?”

“I don't see why he would lie about Viz being dead. Unless he killed him?” Tam said, nose wrinkling. “But why would Guo do that? Why would Guo try to frame Piandao? I know he doesn't like Suki much, but he was just nearly killed by an assassin himself. It's a miracle he lived.”

Hung took his hair down and shook it out, glass falling out onto the kitchen floor. “I don't think Guo is up to much murdering, honestly. He could barely stand.”

She couldn't argue with that. Guo had seemed more than a bit wobbly during that fight, like he was pushing himself past his limits. Of course, she didn't feel too sorry for him, considering he had ordered Piandao to be arrested, and had ordered the soldiers to kill them.

But Guo probably thought, considering the evidence before him, that he was doing the right thing. A dead man in his study, naming his murderer was a pretty open and cut case. She didn't blame Guo for coming for Piandao after something like that.

“So Guo is just a bystander,” Tam said, and Hung glanced at her and then sighed.

“Looks like.”

“That begs the question, who actually killed Viz, and why? We know it wasn't Pi. We know we didn't do it. So... Who?”

“My money is still on the Grand Sage,” Hung said, coming over to her and starting to pick the glass out of her hair. “He wants power, and Guo had power on the Council. He's well-respected. And he survived the attempt on his life, which makes him a sympathetic figure.”

“So the Grand Sage tried to have him killed to frame Suki, when that didn't work, he decided to use Guo to frame Piandao?”

“Kinda makes sense. Luzhuo hates Piandao more than he hates Suki, I think, because he knows Piandao is a traitor.”

Tam frowned, pushing his hand away. “He was not. You don't know what he did.”

“Everyone knows what he did, Tam. I heard all about it when I joined his personal security detail. He gave up his entire troop to the Earthbenders. They were slaughtered because of him, and he ran for it.”

Tam stilled, and realized with a start that she didn't know if Hung was telling her the truth or not. She had never learned exactly what Piandao had done, other than abandoning his post, to earn himself the brand of traitor. He had never told her.

She looked at the weak blue light leaking in from around the edges of the drawn kitchen curtains, feeling her stomach tighten.

“I'm sure he had a good reason.”

“Well, I know the war was pretty shitty, but you don't let your men get slaughtered, no matter what. That makes you a coward, a traitor, and a bastard,” Hung said darkly, and when she glared at him, he sighed. “Don't give me that look. I'm not trying to badmouth the guy. It's just how I feel. Did he play the victim about it or something? Make himself seem all pathetic to get your sympathies?”

She had felt sorry for Piandao, after hearing his side of the story. Or, she supposed, most of the story. Clearly, Pi hadn't told her everything.

She looked down at the blood stain on the floor. “Whatever happened, he's still Piandao. He's a good man, and he's on our side. We left him there. What if...”

But she couldn't say the words again, not here in this house of death.

“We'll figure this out, I promise. If the Grand Sage is behind this, we'll just have to kill the bastard. And rescue your old man before they burn him for a traitor.”

“Don't!”

But Hung wrapped his arms around her and whispered in her ear, “I won't let them hurt you, Freckles.”

Tam's eyes closed, and she grasped the front of Hung's sweaty servant's uniform, shaking.

 _Too late for that_ , she thought darkly, shivers of foreboding rolling through her as the sun rose over the eerie quiet of the Caldera.

* * *

“Hold him down!” Healer Pikon barked, and several hands caught him, pinning him down to the table.

“LET GO OF ME! TAMARIND!” Piandao barked, trying to throw the healers and guards off of him. He bellowed her name again, pain bashing through him in a dizzying rush. He had pulled the stitches in his chest, and it was bleeding freely again, but that wasn't the cause of the pain he was in.

He got one hand free, and punched a guard across the face, attempting to get up off of the table again. Pikon growled in frustration and went over to the cabinets, his hands dripping with blood.

Piandao paid him no mind, attempting to get one of the guards off of him. He should have.

“Hold him still!” Pikon said, and the weight him increased. A blood-drenched hand caught his face, turning it to the side. Then, with a sharp pinch, Piandao felt a needle pierce his neck, and then the warm flood of something entering his veins.

The effect on him was immediate; everything became far away, even the pain. Pikon let go of his face and he turned his head to look at the healer, swimming somewhere in space above him, far away. So far away...

“Bastard... I need to get to... Tamarind...”

“I'm trying to save your life. You'll thank me when you wake up,” Pikon said gently, but sternly, as Piandao drifted down into a dark haze. It was like falling into water, and when he breathed, it filled his lungs, swirling through him, taking away everything.

Everything except her.

“ _Tamarind..._ ” he mumbled, and then slipped under the water. He didn't surface for a very long time.


	21. Tam

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This takes place during chapters 68 - 70 of With or Without You.

Tam paced the floor, unable to keep herself still, her nerves on fire. She had gnawed all of her fingernails down to the quick, and one of them was bleeding sluggishly. Every so often she sucked the blood off, and the tang of copper on her tongue was as sharp as a knife.

Walking hurt, but she couldn't make herself stop pacing despite the pain. Hung had pulled a large piece of glass out of her ankle. The cut had bled profusely, but they'd wrapped it in some bandages they'd finally found in a cupboard.

The rest of their cuts and scrapes had also been doctored. She'd pulled another piece of glass out of Hung's shoulder and cleaned the blood off of the both of them. A quick shower in one of Lian's gigantic bathing rooms had gotten the blood and the rest of the glass out of her hair. She'd showered after Hung had left. She'd hoped that the water would calm her down.

It hadn't. She'd been too keyed up over Hung and Piandao to do anything but worry while she'd combed the glass out of her hair. That worry had not gone away yet. She doubted it would.

She resisted the temptation to stop pacing and go over to one of the windows to look for Hung. She didn't want to risk anyone seeing her in the window. It was just past noon and there were people out and about, driving delivery carts and hauling garbage for the wealthy residents of the Caldera.

She had noticed a lack of guards on the palace walls and in the Caldera when she and Hung had fled the palace to Lady Lian's empty home. It hadn't felt right to her, especially with everything going on. The streets should have been crawling with guards, and the palace too.

A strange feeling was growing in her gut as she paced. It was overwhelming dread akin to a panic attack; something was not right in the Caldera. Something was not right about any of this.

Maybe it was being in Lady Lian's empty home, knowing what had happened here just days ago. Walking from room to room put shivers down her spine, and the old bloodstains were hard to ignore. The place was too quiet as well. She had gotten used to the constant hustle and bustle of the palace; there were always people around there, no matter where you went. Here, she was alone and it was putting her back up.

At least Hung would be back soon. She hoped.

She hadn't wanted him to leave. Just because the Caldera Guard had mysteriously disappeared from the streets didn't mean they weren't still waiting and watching for the two of them. Surely the news of the fight in the healing ward had gotten around already. They would be looking for the two of them. They had to be.

Tam shook out her hands, trying to work out her steadily rising nerves, but nothing could stop the energy flowing through her. What she needed was a good rough fight, something physical she could use to work out her nerves.

_Or maybe something else..._

But she stopped that thought before it could go any further. That way lead trouble and bad decisions and she had vowed to stop thinking with her hormones and use the brains her father had told her she needed to use more.

He wasn't wrong, her father. She had been acting very stupid since Piandao had entered her life. She couldn't help it; something about him pulled at her heart in a way nothing had ever done before.

 _And I left him_ , she thought sadly, guilt flooding her again. She stopped pacing and clutched at her chest. She had left him behind, to their enemies. She didn't know if he was alive or dead, and that made her heart ache even more.

 _I'd know if he was dead... I know I'd know_ , she thought fiercely, squeezing her eyes shut. She was still standing there, clutching her chest, when she heard the sigh of door hinges downstairs. She stiffened, listening to soft footfalls as someone entered the house through the same kitchen door she and Hung had come in from. She had locked that door behind Hung an hour ago. Hung had the only key.

“Freckles?”

She let out a sigh of relief and scrambled for the door of the study she had been pacing in, rounding the corner and peering down the stairs into the front hall. She saw Hung coming out of the kitchen carrying a large sack. He had changed out of the palace servant's uniform that Lio had brought them, and put on clothing he'd found upstairs in one of the bedrooms.

She was pretty sure the clothing had belonged to Lady Lian's husband, but didn't want to think about that too much, or the fact that he'd brought her a change of clothing he'd found upstairs as well. She knew it wasn't Lian's clothing she was wearing now, but

“You're back! I was so worried!” she said breathlessly, taking the stairs two at a time.

“I told you, I got this!” Hung said, slinging the sack off of his shoulders. It hit the floor with a thump and she launched herself into his arms. He staggered a little, putting his arms around her in a fierce hug. She realized she was trembling after a few moments in his arms, her nerves and fear coming out in a confusing rush.

Tam buried her face against Hung's shoulder, breathing in the scent of him for a long moment. She felt Hung's breath on her neck, as his hand slipped into her hair.

“I'm okay.”

“I know,” she said, her voice muffled against his shoulder. “That was just too big of a risk. What if you'd been caught?”

“I wasn't. And I told you, I'd rather risk me than you,” Hung said, his hand spreading on the back of her neck, beneath her damp fall of hair. “I've got a little anonymity. I'm just a dumb guard. No one's gonna recognize me and they haven't had time to put up a wanted poster. Better we risked this now.”

“I know,” she sighed, pulling back a little. “I just have enough worries on my plate right now.”

She saw Hung's square jaw tighten. “Still worried about your boyfriend?”

“He's not my boyfriend! And yes, I am. Pi, and Suki... Ty Lee... I still don't know what happened to Zuko, or any of my friends. I don't know who is doing this, or who actually killed Viz... And I'm here in a house of death, hiding like a rat. I don't like it. I really don't like that there aren't guards crawling the streets right now.”

Hung dropped his hand from her neck, taking hold of her hands. He lifted them to his mouth.

“We're going to figure all of that out. And I saw some guards on my way to the shop. They're out, they're just...”

“Not out in force?”

“Yeah,” he said, and his brow furrowed. “It's bothering me too.”

“What do you think it means?”

Hung shrugged. “I don't know. Their Captain was just murdered last night. Maybe they had a big meeting or... It could be anything.”

“If Viz is even dead.”

“He is,” Hung said sharply. Her brows flew up, and he softened. “Sorry, I'm on edge too. But I heard it in the shop. The owner was talking about it. About Piandao murdering him.”

Her stomach dropped. “Pi... Did you hear anything about him?”

“The shopkeeper only had rumors. He'd heard he was arrested, and that he'd been injured. I think he's still alive.”

Something in her uncoiled, a deep fear that had been clenching her guts to pieces since their escape from the palace at dawn. She took a breath, and then leaned into Hung again, her knees a little weak.

“Thank the Spirits...”

“That worried about him?”

“We left him for dead. I'd never forgive myself if... He's okay.”

Hung let out an annoyed cluck of his tongue. “Yeah, he's okay. He's being charged with treason, murder, and conspiracy but other than that he's doing swell.”

Tam pulled back, stung by the annoyance in his voice. “What's your problem?”

“I just risked life and limb getting you breakfast and you're still worried about the guy who rejected you.”

“Hung... That's not fair!”

Hung saw the expression on her face and softened a little. “Sorry. I'm just feeling a little... Tense.”

“I know the feeling. Feels like I have bees under my skin,” she said, stepping away from him and reached for the bag at his feet. “What did you get?”

“Enough food to last the week, maybe more if we stretch it. It's too bad whoever cleaned out the house also cleaned out the pantry. Guess they didn't expect two hungry fugitives to drop in.”

“I don't want to be here for a week,” Tam said, grabbing a long loaf of freshly baked bread and ripping off a hunk. She shoved it into her mouth, looking up at Hung, whose brows rose. “What?”

“We may have to be here for a week. Maybe more. I don't like it either, but this may be the last food we can risk buying. So ease up on the bread.”

“I'm hungry!” she said thickly, her mouth full of bread. When Hung smiled, and reached for the loaf, she held it back, out of his reach. “No! Mine!”

“Didn't your mother ever tell you not to talk with your mouth full?”

“No, but my father did,” she said, swallowing. The bread was warm and tasted wonderful, but she immediately felt thirsty. There was a pump in the kitchen though; she'd already tested it out. At least they'd have something to drink while they were cowering from their enemies.

“You talk about your father a lot,” Hung said, snatching the bread out of her hand and picking up the bag. He went back toward the kitchen, leaving her standing there glaring after him.

“My father and I were very close when I was growing up,” she said, walking after him. “He was very proud of me becoming a Kyoshi Warrior.”

“So you have daddy issues and you like pleasing older men. That explains the whole Piandao thing, I guess.”

“What? I don't have daddy issues!”

“Agree to disagree.”

“Don't be gross!”

“I'm just putting two and two together here, Freckles,” Hung chuckled, putting the bag onto the kitchen counter. He started pulling everything out of it, setting it aside. She saw that he'd gotten things to make easy meals: bread, jam, cheese, cured meats, crackers, a cake, a bottle of wine and two bottles of rice whiskey, fruits, nuts, and vegetables.

“Well, you can stick two of these up your ass,” Tam said, holding up both of her middle fingers at him.

“Jokes on you, I'd be into that,” he laughed again, putting down a large jar of berry jam, and then wadding up the paper sack he'd carried the groceries in. He tossed it down onto the counter too, and then turned on her, leaning against the counter and crossing his arms over his chest.

“Oh, really?” she said, taking the bait. She couldn't help it.

“Really,” he said, with a slow grin. She missed the goatee, but she found that she liked it when he smiled like that. “You want to find out?”

She nearly said yes, and then stopped herself.

“I don't know where you've been,” she said, picking up one of the peaches he'd pulled out of the bag.

“Right here waiting for a girl like you,” Hung said, sighing, one hand over his heart. She rolled her eyes and took a juicy bite from the peach. The sweet taste flooded her mouth, banishing the dryness from the bread she'd eaten.

“You're the worst,” she said.

“You like me,” he said. “Admit it.”

“You already know that I do,” Tam replied. “I don't have to admit anything.”

“But you're still hung up on Pi.”

“I can call him Pi, _you_ can't,” she said sharply.

He held up both hands. “Oof, touchy subject.”

“Just stop taking jabs at him. He's not here to defend himself,” she said, taking another bite. She felt ravenous, or maybe that was just her nerves. She liked to eat when she was stressed, and she had never felt more stressed in her life. She eyed the rest of the food, wanting nothing more than to scarf the rest of the bread. She took another bite of her peach instead.

Hung was right, this was no time for a food coma. They had to be careful with their supplies. Eating wasn't going to help anyway. Not this time.

And yet she still felt like she was going to scream if she didn't do something. Anything. The energy and stress weighed on her as juice ran down her fingers, making them sticky. She took another bite and her juice trickled down her chin.

“He doesn't need to defend himself. You'll do it for him,” Hung said, watching her with hooded eyes, his gaze following the trickle of juice down her chin. “Face it, you're totally head over heels for the guy.”

“I am not,” she said, feeling heat rising in her cheeks. She tightened her hold on the half-eaten peach, feeling unreasonably angry all of a sudden. She glared at him and he glared right back, and then took a breath.

“Sorry. I know I'm taking digs. I'm just... I'm stressed too. I don't know how long we'll be here. We still don't know how Viz wound up dead. We have no idea who you saw give Viz the evidence to plant on the Seneschal. We don't know anything. And we're fugitives. We show our faces again and we'll be arrested at best, and killed on sight at worst. Flirting with you and teasing you all of the time helps, I guess. I'm not trying to push. I know you need time.”

“I do,” she said, regretfully. “I'm sorry.”

“You don't have to apologize.”

“I'm still sorry.”

“I am too,” Hung said, looking up at her. “Let's just drop it, okay? You're right. Now is not the time. So what do we know so far?”

Tam blew out a breath, and then took another bite of her peach. Juice ran down her chin again, and she wiped it off with her sleeve. “Not much. Someone killed Viz. He may or may not have been the one to attack Piandao. Piandao is alive, but they're definitely going to charge him. And Suki. And Ty Lee, I guess. And me if they catch me.”

“And me. I'm in for a penny, in for pound now.”

“I'm sorry you got mixed up in this.”

“Not your fault, but I'm glad I am. You'd have gotten yourself stabbed in that healing ward if I hadn't gotten you out of there.”

“I could have taken those guards.”

“Not after Pi got stabbed. You'd have flung yourself on him, crying your eyes out,” Hung said, grinning at her. Her eyes narrowed, but she wasn't angry. “Sorry.”

“No, you're not.”

“Nah,” he said with a laugh. She shook her head, and her eyes fell on the food on the counter again. She knew he was just teasing her again, trying to work out his stress.

She knew exactly how he felt, as she took another bite of her peach. It didn't satisfy the hunger she felt, but it was better than nothing. She licked the juice off of her lips and looked up at Hung, who was watching her eating with hooded eyes. Heat was rising up his neck and into his cheeks; she could see it.

“So we don't know much about what's going on,” she said, catching herself watching him, watching her. “And we're stuck here.”

“That about sums it up. I hate to say it, but we might have to—”

“Storm the palace and break them out,” Tam finished for him. Hung paused, brows lifting again.

“I was gonna say keep our heads down and wait for Duke Ru to return, preferably with Fire Lord Zuko in tow.”

“I don't know if they have that long. The Grand Sage is not going to wait to put Suki on trial. We need to get her out sooner rather than later.”

“So how would we even do that? Break back into the palace?”

“I know ways to get into the palace where we won't be seen. I could break back in right now if I wanted, but the problem is, we're out-manned. I could take on a lot of guards at once, but not archers. Firebenders would be a problem too. I don't know if we'd even make it very far.”

“And we couldn't help them if we're dead.”

“We're not helping them stuck here hiding either,” Tam said miserably. “I feel useless.”

“You're not useless, Tam. We're still alive, and we're still free to act if we can. We'll think of something that doesn't involve storming the gates. I promise. I'm not going to let some Firebender set you on fire. I want to protect you.”

That made her smile. “I don't need protection.”

Hung's smile was slow. “That's not what I heard.”

“Eat my ass.”

“Love to.” She stuck her tongue out at him and then took another bite, holding it by the pit now. Her fingers were a sticky mess. “Is that good?”

“I'm all sticky,” she said, biting off the rest of the flesh. She tossed the pit down onto the counter and wiggled her juicy fingers at him.

“Let me,” Hung said, grasping hold of her wrist, surprising her. She found herself propelled forward, toward him.

“What are you doing?”

“Cleaning up,” he said, and then sucked her fingers into his mouth. She hitched in a breath, eyes widening. She felt the suction all the way to her toes and back again, and a tingle exploded to life in her groin.

“Hung!” she said, giggling. She didn't try to pull her hand away, though, as Hung met her eyes. She felt his tongue against her fingers, slipping in between them, licking slowly. He didn't stop until all of her fingers were clean. Leaving her nothing but a breathless mess.

“There,” he said, pulling her thumb out of his mouth. “Clean as a whistle.”

“That was not fair!”

“You didn't stop me,” he said, and darted forward, kissing her lips. He started to pull away, but she lifted up on her tiptoes, pressing for more. She knew she shouldn't have, but the moment his mouth had touched hers, that stressed energy inside of her seemed to explode outward, waiting for an outlet and finding one, and then some. Heat flashed up her spine instantly. She wanted more but Hung pulled back, letting out a little sigh. “Spirits... You taste like peaches, Freckles...”

“Ummm...”

Hung took a step back and ran a hand through his hair, stopping and grimacing. “Uh... Look, I need a... A moment. Lian's gotta have a shower in this mausoleum somewhere, right? I still have glass in my hair. I'll, uh... Yeah... I better go before I get into trouble...”

He turned on his heel and walked away, leaving her standing there on fire, her heart thudding in her chest, and her sticky lip bitten. She heard him walk away, and stood there in the dark kitchen, her nerves jangling like mad.

She stared at the food on the counter and then wiped her wet fingers down the front of her clothes. For once, her mind was an absolute blank. She paced into the front room, and then drifted up the stairs, pacing the corridor. She heard the shower running in the main bathing room and stood outside of the door. She touched the handle, and then backed off, biting her lip.

She walked away, back toward the stairs, and stood there, listening to the water running. When it shut off, she tried to get herself to go back down the stairs, but she felt rooted to the spot. She turned slowly in place and came back to the door. Her breathing was a little rapid, her heart thundering in her chest.

Some part of her told her not to do it, an aching part of her that could only think about one thing. She pushed thoughts of Piandao out of her mind as best as she could. She had feelings for Piandao, deep and confusing ones, but he had rejected her. He didn't want her.

But Hung did.

And she needed a distraction. Food wouldn't work. Not this time.

When the door finally opened and Hung stepped out into the corridor, his shirt in his hands, and his skin red from the water, she hitched in a breath, stilling. Hung stopped in the doorway, staring at her.

“Freckles...”

Tam launched herself at him. He didn't seem surprised, wrapping his arms around her and lifting her against his chest easily. He was still wet, and he smelled of jasmine-scented soap. It was a welcome change from the smell of the lemon cleaner that had been used all over the house. Hung groaned, his mouth hard against hers.

He didn't stop to ask if this was what she wanted. He didn't have to, his hands pushing at her clothing as his mouth dashed against hers hungrily. He took off her top, and her breast wrappings, tossing them down onto the floor. Then he picked her up against him and carried her into the nearest room.

She knew it wasn't Lady Lian's old bedroom, but that was all she knew, or cared about. The scent of lemons also didn't overwhelm them when they entered the room, and that meant no one had died here. That was good enough for her.

They landed on the bed together, pushing at clothing, undressing each other with fervent hands. She knew he needed this as much as she did. When he pulled back to rip her pants and underwear off, she laughed, head dug into the bed, her hair everywhere, in her eyes and spread out on the bed beneath her. Hung laughed too, tossing her clothing aside, and then pushing both of her legs apart.

Her laughter turned into a gasp when he put his mouth on her, his tongue dragging along her wet, aching flesh, circling and dipping. She put one hand over her mouth, muffling the sounds of her pleasure, afraid someone might hear her.

Her hand buried into his wet hair, digging in, her hips rising and falling against the steady pressure of his tongue against her. She was close, teetering, when he sucked clit into his mouth and pulled on it like he had her sticky fingers in the kitchen. That undid her completely.

She came with a muffled shout against her hand, her head digging back into the bed again, back arching. Hung didn't give her a chance to come down, sitting up on his heels and grasping his cock. She let her eyes rake over him, greed filling her with that wild energy again. She saw a tattoo on his stomach, but paid it no mind. She only had eyes for one thing.

“Yes, yes, yes,” Tam whispered, reaching from him too. And when he entered her, all she could do was sigh, wrapping her legs around his waist, and pulling him into her. He grasped her thigh, pulling her down the bed a little, readjusting.

Then he was moving, taking her with steady force, propped up on one hand, his face a mask of concentration, his wet hair falling around his red face. His mouth opened, his hips pumping against hers, taking her in long strokes that knocked little gasps from her mouth.

He bent and kissed one of those gasps from her lips, moving a little faster, taking her right to the precipice again.

“You still fucking taste like peaches...” he groaned against her mouth. She let out a breathless laugh, and grasped him, rolling them both over on the bed. He landed on his back beneath her, pulling out of her as he did. She put her hand flat on his chest, readjusting over him. She reached between them and grasped his cock, then slowly sank down onto him.

After that everything was a blur of skin on skin. She lost herself in the pleasure, the release. She felt her stress retreat to something manageable, her thoughts far away. Whenever she thought about Piandao, Hung's mouth was there to distract her. His skin was there to fill her mouth, her teeth digging in. Sweat rolled down her skin as her hips snapped against his, frantic, wanting everything to stop, to go away, to have some kind of control over anything, anything at all...

Hung's hands clutched her hips, urging her on, his low moans filling her ears. Her hands dug into his chest, and she leaned forward, everything clenching, coiling, pleasure overtaking her. She didn't try to stop it, welcoming the sweat oblivion of it all with open arms.

She came with back-bowing force, her hair in her face, sticking to her chest and back. She rose and fall over him, riding her way through it, until she came to rest on the cradle of his hips.

Shivers overtook her and she felt heat flash through her in the wake of her orgasm. Her breathing was ragged when she pushed her hair out of her face, and looked down at him.

“I needed that,” she said in a sated voice, and then laughed, falling forward against his chest. Hung laughed too, a deep rumble, his hands sinking into her hair. He kissed her forehead, and then rolled her over on the bed, kissing her face, her lips, then her neck, and down her chest. Her hand slipped between them, and she grasped his slippery cock in her hand, pumping him in slow, steady strokes.

He groaned, hips shifting forward into her hand, his mouth around one of her nipples, pulling and nibbling. When he released her and claimed her mouth again, she lifted her leg over his and scooted her lower body against his.

Then she slipped his cock back inside of her again. Hung moaned beneath his dark, claiming kiss, and shifted his hips against hers, his hand on her ass, slowly fucking her. Lying on her side, she let her hands explore his back and shoulders, the play of his muscles fascinating to her fingertips.

Hung's fingers dug into her skin, his pace quickening, his mouth leaving hers. When he pulled out of her, she cupped his face, enjoying the unfocused light in his eyes as he came onto her inner thigh with a hot spurt. He moaned her name as she reached between them again, and pumped her hand up and down him, until he came again, with a deep rumble of pleasure.

She bit his chin and then grinned, letting go him and sinking back on the bed.

Hung rolled over onto his back, letting out a breath of his own. He lifted his hands and pushed his hair back, leaving her to wipe her messy fingers on the covers. She used the covers to clean her inner thigh, and then lay back down beside him, totally exhausted now.

“Mmmm... I don't think I have bones anymore.”

“I fucked the bones out of you?”

“Who needs em anyway?” she said stupidly, rolling over and putting her head on his shoulder. “That was good.”

“I know,” he said smugly, and turned his head to look down at her. His fingers tickled along her back.

“Someone's feeling cocky,” she said, with a soft laugh. “But I seem to remember you making all kinds of promises about multiple orgasms.”

Hung smiled widely. “And what makes you think I'm finished with you?”

“Promises, promises,” she said, and he grasped her, rolling her over onto her back again, his mouth crushing to hers. She rolled with him again, landing him flat on his back. She got her leg over his, and then started kissing down his chest, lingering on his nipples.

She dragged her mouth down his stomach, tongue dipping into his belly button. She nibbled down his hipbones and reached for his cock. Her hand stopped though, as she lifted her mouth from his stomach, blinking at the bit of flesh her tongue had slipped over.

It was the tattoo she'd noticed earlier, but hadn't really looked at.

Tam's hot blood ran ice cold in an instant, and she jerked away from him, sitting up with a gasp, eyes wide. She looked up at Hung, meeting his gaze as he sat up on his elbows. He looked from the small black flame tattooed on his stomach, and then back up at her again.

Hung let out a breath and then shook his head.

“Well.... _Shit_.”


	22. Hung

_One year ago..._

"Where are we going?" he asked the man in front of him, his voice tense. "We have to leave the palace right now. The Smoke Demons are going down, and unless we run we're going to burn on a pyre for what we've done!"

"We're not going anywhere," the man tossed at him over his shoulder. "The only person who knew we were both Smoke Demons is dead. They won't find us."

"We took the mark, Kamen!" he said, grabbing the man's arm and wrenching him around to face him. "If they start looking, they'll find us!"

"Calm down, Hung. We're not going to get caught," Kamen said to him, his handsome face a mask of determination. "I told you when we joined that I had someone watching my back."

"A Smoke Demon?"

"Someone much better than that," Kamen said, leading him onward through the streets of the Caldera. They could see fire rising in the distance, flames coming from the harbor city beyond the rim of the ancient volcano. They had already heard the news; the Smoke Demons had been routed, their warehouse put to the flames. The Fire Lord had lived, and so had that Kyoshi Warrior.

Lady Shura had been caught. All of her sons were dead.

The Smoke Demons were no more.

Hung's nerves sung as they crept through the darkened streets toward a magnificent mansion towering above its neighbors. He knew this house, though he had never come there. He drew up short and looked at Kamen.

"Him?"

Kamen smiled sharply. "He is not what you think. He'll protect us."

As Hung entered the back gate of Councilman Guo's expansive gardens, barely breathing, every noise and shadow one of the Fire Lord's loyal guards. Kamen didn't hesitate, entering through the back door and gesturing Hung to follow. They wound their way through elegant rooms to a study just off of the main hallway. There were no other servants visible, but Hung thought he felt eyes on him all the same.

Kamen knocked on the door, and a voice commanded them to enter. The door opened and Hung saw Guo sitting at a desk, looking imperious and expectant. One brow drew up when he looked from Kamen to Hung.

"The Smoke Demons have fallen, my Lord," Kamen said, crossing the room and falling to one knee. "As you predicted."

"I don't know your friend."

"His name is Hung. He is a Smoke Demon too."

"My... My Lord," Hung started, bowing to Guo, who sat back and looked at them thoughtfully. There was a fire in the hearth, despite the heat that had been baking the Fire Nation for weeks. It made sweat roll down Hung's back, or perhaps that was fear. He had no idea what he had walked into, but standing there in front of one of Fire Lord Zuko's councilors, admitting that he was a Smoke Demon, seemed like the biggest blunder of his life.

"What have you heard of Shura?"

"She's been captured. Her sons are dead."

Guo sighed, and steepled his hands on the desk in front of him. "As I warned her would happen. That means we have precious little time to act, Guard Kamen. Unless you want to go down with the Demon's Head?"

"No, sir."

"I can vouch for and protect you going forward. If..."

"If?" Kamen asked, head coming up. But Guo was watching Hung, still standing awkwardly in the study doorway.

"If you pledge yourselves to me."

"Consider it done, my Lord," Kamen said. "I'm yours to command."

"And you, Hung?" Guo asked, looking at Hung with knowing eyes. "You are a loyal Smoke Demon, no?"

"I am."

"Can you switch loyalties to someone else?"

Hung glanced down at Kamen, still bowing on his knees on the floor. The desperation was rolling off of Kamen; he would say yes to anything at the moment, just to save his own skin. Hung didn't blame him. If they were caught...

"It depends, my Lord."

"On?"

"You are one of Fire Lord Zuko's councilors, but not a Smoke Demon like Osamu was. Surely if you had been you would have joined the Smoke Demons? I won't pledge myself to someone I don't trust. Someone who has not taken a stand against Fire Lord Zuko's tyranny."

"Tyranny..." Guo said softly. "Mmm... I suppose that's an apt word for the Harmony Restoration Movement, isn't it? He thinks to make the Fire Nation weak, when we have always known strength. Why do you think I joined his council? To steer him away from folly. To guide the Nation where is should be. To make the Fire Nation great again. But I am not Lady Shura, who sought to usurp his rule for her own greed. I do not need to. Fire Lord Zuko can be molded and made into the man he should be..."

"You think he can be saved?"

"Saved? Perhaps not. But. One day he will have a child, a Firebender whose lineage is pure and can be traced back to the great Fire Lords of the past. That child will be the Fire Nation's greatest hope. After that... Well, perhaps we will no longer have need of a weak Fire Lord like Zuko?"

Hung looked from Guo to Kamen. "You'll protect me?"

"If you agree to do as I say. I expect loyalty from my men. Obedience," Guo said, his voice hard. "Do as I command... And I will see to it that no one will ever know about that black flame you carry. If not... Kamen?"

Kamen's head came up.

"Kill him."

Kamen pulled the sword on his belt and turned on Hung, who backed up a step. Kamen went for him, swinging the sword, while Hung went for the one at his own belt. He had barely pulled it when Guo commanded, "Stop."

Kamen's sword stopped right at Hung's throat, as Hung hitched in a breath, hand gripping his half-sheathed sword. He looked from Kamen's merciless eyes to Guo, watching them almost boredly.

"Obedience. And loyalty," Guo said. "Are we clear?"

"Yes, my Lord," Hung said, sheathing his sword again. "I swear my loyalty."

"I thought you might. Return to the palace, the both of you. When I want to speak to you, you will know it. Go now. Before I change my mind," Guo said, picking up his cup of tea. He took a sip, and looked away, staring into the fire.

Kamen sheathed his sword again, and shoved Hung in the shoulder, and together they left the study, and wove their way through the house, and out into the gardens again. The night air was warm and sultry, but a cold sweat was clinging Hung's uniform to his skin.

Neither he nor Kamen said anything as they made their way through the streets of the Caldera, heading toward the palace, not until they had almost reached the wide courtyard ringing the palace. Hung caught Kamen's shoulder and pulled him short.

"You were going to do it, weren't you?"

Kamen's lips curled. "Of course, I was. You would have done the same thing, in my position."

Kamen wrenched his arm out of Hung's grip, and marched across the darkened courtyard toward the guard's gate, leaving Hung sweating.

He knew Kamen was right. He would have done the same thing, had Guo asked it of him.

* * *

_Six Months Ago..._

"You're late."

"My apologies, my Lord," Hung said, falling to his knees before Guo. "My duties prevented me from answering right away. I came as fast as I could."

"Don't grovel, Hung. I hate groveling," Guo said softly, pacing the floor of his large office in the palace. Hung didn't dare look up at him, watching the man's expensive silk slippers moving across the lush carpet with a whisper of sound.

Hung didn't speak, waiting for Guo to tell him why he had been summoned. He didn't have to wait long. Guo stopped pacing and stood in front of him.

"He asked her to marry him," Guo said, surprising Hung into looking up. He met Guo's eyes, and looked away hastily. He knew what Guo was talking about; the Fire Lord had announced his engagement to Seneschal Suki that evening.

"My Lord?"

"I'd hoped it was a fling. She is a beautiful little bedwarmer. I can't fault him for that... She's intelligent. Competent. I almost admire her, truth be told," Guo said, pacing again. "She's stubborn and so is Zuko. They won't be dissuaded from marrying through normal means..."

"You want to stop the wedding?"

"He cannot marry her. She is an Earth Kingdom peasant. Any child they have would be impure, an abomination, not fit to sit the throne. I would rather burn this nation down than let her defile it," Guo said, his voice a simmering growl of rage. "Do you not agree, Hung?"

Hung lifted his head again. "Of course, I do. But..."

"What?"

"Why not just kill the Fire Lord?"

"And have that mad, murdering _bitch_ Azula take the throne? Or Iroh? A man too old for an heir?"

"Take it for yourself then!"

Guo laughed softly, and stopped, his back to Hung. "Do you know where I am from, Hung?"

"No, my Lord."

"If you did, you wouldn't call me my Lord. It's not a title I was born to. It was a title I bought. I was born to a whore, and left for dead wrapped in the bloody sheets she birthed me on. I was raised in an orphanage, a place of misery, where no one ever let me forget what I was, and where I came from. Nothing, and nowhere. But I knew one thing, Hung. I was not going to stay there. I would not be nothing. I would rise...tooth and claw... I would change the world..." Guo said, and turned to face him again. "I have amassed wealth, power, and privilege through cunning and ruthlessness, but it all means nothing, really. Because I am still that bastard boy in that orphanage. The throne will never be mine. I would not dare to aim so highly."

"Zuko should die," Hung said. "You know he should!"

"You sound like my friend Luzhuo..." Guo said, amused. "Zuko's time will come, once we've secured a suitable heir. But not until then."

"What would you have me do then, my Lord? Kill her?"

Guo smiled, and shivers ran down Hung's spine.

"We don't need to kill her. She'll do that herself when we're through with her..." Guo said. "But that's not your concern, Guardsman Hung. I have a special job for you. Zuko has finally filled Councilman Osamu's seat. I've recommended you for the new Councilman's private detail."

"What are your orders?"

"Watch Piandao. I have the other Councilors mostly under my influence. Lady Lian especially. She has an almost seething hatred of our beloved Seneschal. I barely have to nudge her in the right direction. Bai is also quite opposed to her, and will do what I want with barely any prompting. Duke Ru... He's loyal to Zuko, but he's not the brightest knife in the drawer, and I can manipulate him if I appeal to his sense of outrage. Madam Biyu will choose the safest course. I know how to play her. General Mak... General Mak is a problem. He's loyal and smart, but he won't be a problem if I can get him out of the way."

"And Piandao?"

"He's an unknown to me. He's a traitor to the Fire Nation, you know. He's a prodigious warrior, or he was in his youth. I have heard he hasn't lost a step since, but I don't know if that's strictly true. He was Zuko's swordmaster, however, and his loyalty will lie with Zuko. He may be a problem going forward..."

"What would you have me do?"

"Watch him. Closely. Learn his weaknesses. My plan is nearly ready for fruition, and I cannot leave anything to chance. If I play this right... Piandao will not be a problem."

"I'll do as you ask, my Lord. What about Kamen?"

Guo's face grew dark, and he looked out the window again. "Kamen's time will come. Just do as I say, Smoke Demon."

* * *

_Three months ago..._

Councilman Piandao's foot collided with Hung's face, and he found himself flat on his back, his sword leaving his numb fingers. The breath was knocked out of him, and for a moment, he was sure he wasn't going to get it back.

"You let yourself get distracted again," Piandao said in his deep rumble, standing over Hung and blotting out the blinding light of the sun. Hung squinted, taking a breath that hurt. Sweat poured down his skin as Piandao held out his hand. Hung took it, and Piandao helped him back to his feet.

"I wasn't distracted. You're just too damned fast, old man," Hung said, laughing and pushing his hair out of his face. "Let's go again. I can take you this time."

"You look like you need a rest," Piandao said skeptically, but Hung picked up his sword, ignored the stitch in his side, and swung at Piandao before the man knew what he was doing. And he still managed to avoid Hung's practice blade, the wooden swords clacking together at Piandao got his blade up in time.

Annoyance showed on Piandao's face, but Hung didn't care. It was time to play dirty. He was tired of losing to a man twice his age, and twice as fast. Forget fairness. He wanted blood.

He didn't get very far, however, before Piandao had caught his blade, spinning it out of his hands. It clattered across the open air dojo, landing in some bushes on the other side. Piandao flipped him over his shoulder and Hung landed on his back.

Again.

"You fucking son of a bitch," Hung mumbled, sitting up with a growl, but Piandao wasn't paying him any mind. Hung frowned, looking at the stunned expression on Piandao's face in confusion.

Piandao looked like someone had gutted him; his brown face had drained of color, and his breathing was suddenly more ragged than it had been when they'd been sparring. And he was looking at something across the dojo.

No, not something. _Someone._

Hung followed his gaze and saw what had so stunned Piandao. And he couldn't blame the man at all for the dumb look on his face when he saw the woman walking through the garden, her head bent over a scroll.

Her painted face and uniform gave her away as one of Fire Lord Zuko's personal bodyguards. It was hard not to notice them around the palace; they stood out like glittering birds in their uniforms, and caught the eye no matter what they did. But this Kyoshi Warrior, Hung didn't mind acknowledging, would have caught anyone's eye, uniform or not.

Hung had noticed this one before, but he tended to steer clear of the Fire Lord's bodyguards as a general rule, and by Guo's command. She was beautiful though. Earth Kingdom or not, it was hard to look away from her.

And clearly, Piandao thought so too. Hung looked from the Warrior, and back to the Councilman, who swallowed, his eyes tracking the woman as she walked. She didn't look up, turning down another path and disappearing behind some azalea bushes.

As soon as she was gone, Piandao let out a breath and closed his eyes. His pale face had grown steadily darker, and a red flush had crept up his bare, sweaty chest.

"See something you like?" Hung drawled, making Piandao look at him with a glare, though he started in surprise at being caught staring.

 _Interesting..._ Hung thought. _Very interesting... Maybe the old man has a weakness after all..._

* * *

_Two months ago..._

She smelled like jasmine, passing by him so close her perfume filled his head like opium smoke. His eyes closed, and he breathed in, letting himself drift a little in the haze. She didn't notice, marching past with her head held high, her fan bouncing against her leg.

He was just another guard, keeping watch along the walls.

His hand tightened on the qiang in his hands.

He wondered what she looked like beneath her paint.

* * *

_Two weeks ago..._

"Just keep walking," Hung said in Kamen's ear, his hand still clamped over his mouth to keep him from spitting. Kamen didn't fight him, but he was making noise. He wasn't happy. Hung didn't care, grinning as he marched him out of the palace and toward the gates of the Caldera's switchback trail.

They didn't make it to the gates, however, ducking down a side alley, and into a shed on the back of a home that had been abandoned by its owners for a holiday on Ember Island. No one was home to watch Hung drop his hand from Kamen's mouth.

"You should have let me spit on the bitch!" Kamen hissed at him the moment he let go. Hung laughed.

"I'm supposed to be a good guy," Hung reminded him, pulling out a key to the cuffs keeping Kamen's arms behind his back. "Besides, it gave me a good excuse to escort you out of the palace."

He unlocked the cuffs and Kamen jerked his arms away, rubbing his wrists.

"I can't wait for that stupid bitch to go down."

"Just get dressed, you moron," Hung said, going over to the shed door and glancing out at the alley. "You know the plan?"

"Yeah," Kamen said, pulling his guard uniform off, and dumping it beneath the floorboards they had already ripped up before this. He pulled on a palace gardener's uniform, turning his back to Hung. Hung saw the black flame tattooed on Kamen's back shoulder. "Do you?"

"Of course," Hung said, his mouth twisting. "It's happening right now."

"He'll live. Just stick to the plan."

"What if he gets caught?" Hung asked, as Kamen jerked on his shirt. He whipped around to face him.

"He won't," Kamen said with a laugh. "He's too smart for that. We're just lucky Zuko left on his mysterious trip when he did. Now we don't have to worry about the Fire Lord getting in the way. Not until Nobu brings him back just in time to witness her going down. This is going to work. You just worry about getting that fan out of her office. We can't frame those little Kyoshi bitches if we can't plant the right evidence."

Hung thought about the Warrior with the green eyes, and his stomach tightened.

Kamen laughed harshly, and shoved Hung in the shoulder when he saw the look on his face.

"Go on, Hung. Just do what you've been told. It's all going to work out."

* * *

_A week and a half ago..._

The lock opened easily, allowing him into the darkened confines of the Seneschal's office. It was too dark see, but he crept in slowly, reaching out and taking the fan off of the wall. Then he left the office, tucking the fan into the front of his uniform. No one stopped him from leaving the palace, sneaking out the back gate and into the caldera. He ducked into the same shed where he'd left Kamen, and when he entered, he found himself face to face with a Kyoshi Warrior.

Or what looked like one.

"You look ridiculous," Hung drawled, looking Kamen up and down.

Kamen tossed a green uniform at him, and he caught it one-handed. "I'm not the only one. Get dressed. You have the fan?"

"Straight off the bitch's wall."

He hastily put on the uniform; it didn't fit, and stretched across his back and arms uncomfortably, but it would do. He applied the paint, and put his hair up, and then stood back, staring into the small mirror Kamen held up.

He didn't look like a Kyoshi Warrior, but the paint reminded him too well of Tam. She had green eyes, and freckles beneath her paint. He had gotten to talk to her, finally, only to deliver her straight to Piandao's waiting arms. Something about that made his guts curdle.

He didn't like the way Piandao looked at her.

She was too young for him. Too beautiful. Too funny...

And she was a Kyoshi Warrior. The enemy. He had to remember that.

Kamen handed him a weapon, a Warrior's blade, and they crept out of the shed together, keeping to the shadows. It was nearly dawn, and only Caldera guards and delivery people were out.

They surprised one of the servants in the courtyard in front of the stables. Hung killed him with barely a scream. The rest of the household was not so lucky. They entered the house with a key to the kitchen door, and went to work. By the time he'd made it up the stairs, blood was everywhere, hot and sticky on his face, and hands, and chasing the blade of the Warrior's sword.

"NO! DAD! MOM!" a scream came from his right as Hung left the servant sprawled against the wall at the top of the stairs. He turned, and heard a teenaged girl scream. Her screaming died out and Kamen swaggered out of the room a moment later, wiping his blade on his green sleeve. His face was splashed with fresh blood, running in rivers down his face.

"I always did love a squirter," Kamen said, and Hung felt his stomach turn. He nearly missed the movement behind him, but turned in time to catch the blade that swung down toward his head. Sparks flew, and he found himself face to face with Lady Lian's husband.

He glared at them for a moment, while Lian screamed in her bed from the room behind him.

Hung knocked his blade aside. The man didn't stand a chance. Hung's blade took him in the belly, sliding in like he was warm butter on a hot day. He fell to the ground, in a pool of blood.

"WHO ARE YOU! HELP!"

Kamen rushed into the room, jumping over the dead man in the doorway. Hung stood back, feeling sick, watching as Kamen silenced the Councilor's screams. It was dark in the room, but he could see the blood.

So much blood.

"The fan," Kamen said, holding out his hand as Lian gave one last breath and went still. Kamen snapped his fingers at him. "THE FAN!"

Hung blinked, and fished the fan out of his clothing. He started to hand it to Kamen, but Kamen had grasped Lian's face, pulling her mouth open.

"What are you doing?"

"Sending a message," Kamen said, looking up at him. His brow arched beneath his makeup. "Well?"

Feeling sick, Hung shoved the closed fan into Lian's slack mouth. That wasn't enough for Kamen, who put the heel of his palm down on it, shoving it down the poor dead woman's throat. Hung felt sick, backing up a step.

"It's done. Let's get out of here," he whispered, looking around at the house of the dead. They left the house, with its bloody corpses, behind, running through the streets back toward the empty shed. When they entered, they were not alone.

Hung pulled up short, and stared Captain Viz in the eyes.

"Is it done?"

"It is," Kamen said in a gloating voice.

"Good. Give me the weapons and the uniforms. Wash up and change. Get back to the palace. They'll be found soon. Await your orders."

"What orders?" Hung snorted, taking off the blood-soaked Kyoshi uniform. "Guo is in a coma."

"He'll wake up soon enough," Viz said. "We just have to worry about following the orders he left behind."

Hung washed the blood and paint off of his face, and then pulled on his uniform again. Kamen did the same thing, and when they were dressed, Viz shoved the waded up uniform at Kamen, along with one of the swords, into a large pack. "Take this back to the palace. Await my signal. We'll put it in the bitch's suite when they search it."

"I'll be ready."

"See that you are. Go!"

He and Kamen left, with Kamen carrying the bundle on his back. Together they slipped back to the palace gates, where a guard let them back in with a knowing nod.

"How many people does Guo have?"

Kamen smiled. "Enough. Stick to the plan. Watch Piandao."

"I'm on it," Hung said, and he and Kamen parted.

He could still hear the screams in his ears, and feel the blood on his skin.

Dawn came, but he couldn't sleep. Instead he showered for the third time, and then wandered out of his room. He didn't know that he was going toward the rooms where the Warriors kept their suites until he heard the sounds of voices in the corridor.

He recognized Tam's voice, haughty and offended. His blood ran hot, and he felt hard, stepping out and grasping the guard who had been harassing her. When her eyes met his, he smiled.

She really was beautiful.

* * *

_A week ago..._

She tasted like warm vanilla and the scent of jasmine filled him to the brim, standing there in the sunshine outside of a house of horrors. He felt guilt, felt dirty, wrong... And yet she was there, in his arms, kissing him...

Him, not Piandao.

Piandao, who only had eyes for her...

But she wasn't Piandao's, she was his. He would make sure of that.

His. His... No matter what...

* * *

 _Two days ago.._.

"I want Piandao dead," Luzhuo said in a soft voice, that put chills up Hung's neck. He looked up at the Grand Sage, standing beside Viz. "He's a traitor and he's asking too many questions."

"That Kyoshi Warrior too. I know she's with him."

"She isn't," Hung said. "I don't know where she is."

"You're lying," Luzhuo said. "Are you trying to protect her?"

"No! Of course not! She's... She's an Earth Kingdom whore, I would never..." Hung said, the words like ashes in his mouth. His heart was beating very fast.

"Then lure her somewhere private. Think of some excuse. Kill her, and leave the body to rot. And as for Piandao... Viz? You'll end him," Luzhuo said with a growl in his voice.

"What about Guo?"

"Guo is a fool. He won't do what's necessary! Kill them both and have done with it!"

"Yes, Grand Sage."

"Call me Steward."

* * *

_Last night..._

"Viz!" Hung snarled, skidding to a halt. Viz stopped, ripping the mask off of his face.

"YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO KILL HER WHILE I TOOK CARE OF PIANDAO!" Viz hissed at him, breathing hard. "What are you doing?"

"I couldn't do it!" Hung said, his breathing just as ragged, after his run through the Caldera, chasing Tam's heels. "I'm not going to kill her."

"You fucking traitor!" Viz snarled, and then stopped, looking down at the knife Hung had put into his guts. Viz pulled in a ragged breath, backing up a step. "You'll pay for this..."

"You won't touch her."

He went to grasp the knife, to pull it out and finish the job, but he heard footsteps behind him. He took off, leaving Viz to his fate. But he knew it had been a fatal stab. Viz would not live out the night.

He went back to Piandao's suite as fast as he could, wiping the blood off of his hands.

Whatever happened now, he knew that he had no choice. He had betrayed Guo by following Luzhuo's orders. Guo would not suffer disobedience.

He had done it for her, he knew. The Kyoshi Warrior with the green eyes.

The one who had kissed him, and who looked at Piandao like he had hung the moon himself.

He had found Piandao's weakness, but he knew that he had also found his own. Something he loved more than his dreams of taking his Nation back from the men who had made it so weak.

Her. Tamarind.

She was not Piandao's.

She was _his._

He would make sure of that.


	23. Tam & Piandao

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just wanted to say welcome to anyone who came here from Fanfiction.net! Thank you for reading!

Tam reeled back, staring at Hung in disbelief, feeling the room spin around her, the taste of him still on her lips. Her eyes traced from the tattoo to his face.

“I can explain,” he said, holding out his hand to her as he shifted to the end of the bed. She backed up a step, her stomach clenching.

“You think I don't know what that is? You're a fucking Smoke Demon!” she breathed, and then her shock wore off. “YOU'RE A FUCKING SMOKE DEMON!”

She started forward and stopped. She was naked, vulnerable. And he was a Smoke Demon.

The enemy. Hung was the enemy.

And she had slept with him.

“I think I'm going to be sick,” she choked out, her hand jammed against her mouth.

“You don't understand,” Hung said. “Please, let me explain.”

“EXPLAIN WHAT?” she shot at him. “Have you been a Smoke Demon this whole time? The whole time! You've been... You've been helping me. And Piandao and...”

She was having trouble breathing. She felt dirty and sick.

“Let's just calm down and talk about this,” Hung said, grabbing his pants from the foot of the bed. He jerked them on and pulled them up his hips. She was grateful for that; seeing him naked was making her want to throw up.

“I let you touch me... I let you... Oh, Spirits...,” she said, her throat tight. “I can't do this. I can't...”

She grabbed up the closest bit of their discarded clothing, which happened to be the tunic she'd been wearing. She jerked it on over her head, grateful not to be naked and vulnerable before him.

“Where are you going?” Hung asked, alarm on his face. “Don't go! Please! It's not safe!”

But she was already diving for the door.

Hung was up off of the bed in a second, rushing at her and catching her arm. She whipped around on him, her hand striking out at him. He blocked the blow and her knee came up, missing his crotch but smashing into his muscular thigh. He grunted with pain, and she smashed her elbow forward, right into his face. She didn't wait to see what he would do next. She turned again, diving for the door.

She didn't make it.

He tackled her from behind, bearing her down to the floor with his weight on top of her. It knocked the breath out of her, her tangled hair in her eyes, blinding her. She bucked backward, but he put his weight on her hips and pinned her. His hands caught her wrists and he leaned forward with every bit of his strength.

“GET OFF OF ME!”

“Not until you hear what I have to say, Tam!” Hung snarled. “You think I want to hurt you? I could have hurt you a long time ago, but I didn't! Ask yourself why?”

“I don't care why, you piece of shit! You're a fucking Smoke Demon. You killed my friend! You killed Aiko!”

Hung's breath was hard on her neck. “I wasn't the one who killed your friend. I didn't even know her.”

“You think I care? You're a traitor!”

“I'm not the traitor! ZUKO IS! He usurped the rightful ruler of the throne! He weakened our nation, destroyed everything we'd built! He should never have taken the throne,” Hung hissed at her.

Her cheek dug into the stiff bristles of the expensive carpet beneath her cheek, sweat popping out on her skin. Her nails dug into the carpet, rage in her chest.

“So you are a real Smoke Demon. You're just like the rest of them.”

“No, I'm not,” Hung said through his teeth, bending close to her ear. His breath was hard, stirring her hair. She couldn't see him. She didn't want to see him. Just feeling his naked body against hers set her skin to crawling. “I was smart, Tam. The rest of the Smoke Demons? They went down with Lady Shura, but not me. I found someone to protect me, someone who hated Zuko as much as I did.”

“Luzhuo?” she shot at him, and he blew out a breath.

“You think I'll tell you? Tam, the less you know the better I can protect you.”

“I don't need you to protect me, Smoke Demon!” she snarled.

“Yes, you do. Do you know what they ordered me to do? Watch Piandao. They don't trust him. He's a traitor. I was supposed to find his weaknesses...something they could exploit. You know what I found? His biggest weakness?” Hung said, his voice simmering as he put his mouth down near her ear. “ _You_.”

“FUCK YOU!” she said, and dug her feet into the floor, attempting to roll over. He wrenching her arms behind her back and held both of her wrists with one hand. The other hand grabbed hold of her hair.

“Don't struggle, Tam. I don't want to have to hurt you. That's the last thing I want.” But his hand tightened in her hair, letting her know that he would if he had to.

“So this is about Piandao?” she said, her voice simmering with rage. “You fucked me to get at him?”

“No! I fucked you because I... I have feelings for you, Tam. I wasn't lying about that!” Hung said, and for a moment the honesty in his voice, the plaintive note that hung in the air between them made her pause.

Then reality came back to her and she gritted her teeth.

“But you lied about everything else, didn't you?”

“I had no choice.”

“Yes, you did!” Tam growled, lifting her head off of the floor, her muscles tensing beneath him. “You always have a choice. And you chose to work against me. Zuko isn't the traitor. And neither is Pi. YOU ARE!”

“They wanted me to kill you, Tam! When they arrested Suki and Ty Lee, they ordered me to kill you if I found you. I didn't tell them you were hiding out with Piandao. I could have, but I didn't! I protected you, do you understand that?”

“Okay, you protected me. So what? Tell me this, did you lure me to that house last night so they could kill Piandao?”

Hung went very still, his hands tightening their hold on her. Her eyes closed. She knew what his hesitation meant. Cold rage seeped through her instantly.

“He's a traitor, Tam. He always has been. He turned against this Nation. He should have burned for his crimes.”

“I don't care what he did,” she shot at him. “He's a good man, and you tried to have him killed!”

“I had nothing to do with that! VIZ should have killed him, but the old man put up a fight. If I'd kept you there in that house, he would have won that fight. And I wouldn't have had to have killed Viz. He saw me with you. He knew I didn't kill you. He was going to turn on me!”

“You killed Viz? Were you the one? In Suki and Zuko's suite? Did you plant the evidence on Suki?”

“I had to,” he started, but that was all she needed to hear. She couldn't stomach any more, and she had gotten all of the answers she needed from him.

Tam bucked in place, rolling with all of her might, and twisting her arms at the same time. She broke his hold on her wrists, and she immediately slammed her elbow back into him. The blow connected, and she heard him grunt. His hands snagged at her hair, but she wrenched it free, rolling away from him, out from under his crushing weight.

He tried to grab her again, but her foot shot out, heel in his face.

“TAM!”

She'd had her fan with her, but she had lost it when they'd been undressing each other. She looked around for it, scrambling to her feet, but her eyes came up wanting. When she whipped around, he was on his feet already, breathing hard, blood on his mouth.

“Stop! I'm not going to hurt you!”

“How can I believe that? For all I know you were going to fuck me and then kill me!”

“I would never...” Hung said, as she spotted her fan, lying behind him on the floor. “That's not...”

“Why else would you bring me here?”

“TO KEEP YOU SAFE! The palace isn't safe, Tam. You don't know what they have planned...what they're going to do. We'll be safe here. I can protect you!”

But she shook her head.

“You knew how to get in. You were working with Viz this whole time. You planted the evidence on Suki...you... You killed Lady Lian, didn't you? You killed everyone in this house.”

Hung's red face went pale, and he swallowed.

“I had no choice.”

“STOP SAYING THAT! MURDERER!” she said, and launched herself at him.

“TAM!”

They came together, her fist lashing out. He rolled with the strike, and it glanced off of his shoulder. She twisted, skidding around him and then diving for her fan. She caught it, rolling back to her feet and turned on him.

He went for her again, his wary eyes on the fan in her fingers. She flipped it open as he swung at her, trying hit it out of her hands. She didn't give him a chance, twisting again, and jabbing at his shoulder, and then at a spot right below his ribs.

His arm immediately went dead and he grunted, turning on her. His arm flopped and he grabbed at his ribs. His other arm lashed out, and she caught his hand, turning his blow and ramming her shoulder into his chest.

He skidded away from her, and then recovered, coming at her again, relentless. She danced backward, to the middle of the room, and he charged at her, his arm still useless at his side.

He tried to get his other arm around her, maybe to take her to the ground again where his superior weight would be to his advantage, but she didn't give him the chance.

She spun, and kicked him across the face.

Hung landed against the wall, the air rushing out of him. He looked up at her, tossing his unbound hair, still damp from his shower, out of his hazel eyes. His teeth bared, his lips bloody.

She could still see the tattoo on his heaving, sweaty stomach, stark black. Damning him.

“I don't want to fight you,” he panted.

“Not much of a fight.”

But he ignored her, clutching his arm, attempting to wiggle the life back into his fingers.

“He's going to die, Tam. Do you get that?” he said, panting, pushing himself off of the wall. He wiped at the blood on his mouth. “They're going to make sure Suki burns for the massacre. For Guo's assassination attempt. And Pi? He'll burn right there with her.”

“I won't let anything happen to him,” she said, a vow heavy in her voice.

“You love him, don't you?” Hung said, his voice harsh with pain. “I thought once he rejected you, you'd come to your senses, but... He doesn't even want you, Tam! Not the way I do!”

“I don't care if he wants me or not. I won't let anyone hurt him. I won't let you go anywhere near him,” she said. “You left him there to die.”

“So did you.”

“Fuck you.”

“You already did.” Rage seared through her, white-hot, all encompassing. Hung glared at her right back, his eyes sliding to the fan in her fingers. He looked back up at her. “If you wanted to stop me, or kill me you would already have done it. You're better than I am. You've been holding back, Kyoshi Warrior. Why?”

“I'm not going to kill you, Hung. You're going to pay for what you've done.”

“Am I?” he said, and some of that good humor that had attracted her to him in the first place showed through in the hitch of his lips. She didn't feel any attraction anymore.

She could still see the tattoo, and it just made her sick.

“Come on, Tam. I'm trying to protect you. I am. They'll kill you. They'll kill him, and her, and maybe even Zuko if he's alive. You don't have to die. If you come with me, we can leave this place. We can go. We can run.”

“You really think I'll do that? Abandon Suki? Ty Lee? They're my sisters! My family! My friends!”

“I know you're loyal to them, but you can't save them, just like you can't save him!”

“You don't know what loyalty is, Hung! When the Smoke Demons went down you ran. You hid. And now... You betrayed your masters to help me. You can't even be loyal to them. All you care about is yourself!”

“I could be loyal to you.”

“I could never trust you again.”

“I can change! I already have!”

“So you don't want Zuko off of the throne? You don't want Suki to burn for Lian's murder?”

He hesitated, his eyes shifted to the side. “She's not you... I don't care about her. I care about you.”

“Why? Do you think _love me?_ ” she sneered.

“Maybe I do... I...”

But she laughed, low and sarcastically. “You don't love me, Hung. You just wanted to fuck me.”

“No! NO! I have feelings for you. I know you have feelings for me too!” he said, surging forward, coming toward her.

“Bitch, I was just trying to get laid,” Tam said in a flat voice, and then spun, her leg striking out. She hit him square in the chest with as much force as she could muster. The blow launched him back, straight into the window. He hit the glass with a loud shattering sound, and then tipped backward, over the frame and out the window, tearing the curtains down as he did.

Tam's eyes widened, and she rushed forward, just in time to see him bounce down the sloped, tiled roof. His hands scrambled at the tiles, but he fell over the edge of the roof and landed in the kitchen garden, flat on his back.

“Fuck!” Tam said, her heart leaping. She didn't know whether to go out the window, jagged with broken glass, or run for the stairs, to stop him before he could leave, and the half-second of hesitation she felt was all he needed.

Hung got to his feet, panting, clutching his arm. He looked up at the window, and their eyes met for one long moment. He was bleeding from more cuts. She could still see the tattoo on his stomach, stark black, a brand she could never forget.

She knew she'd never catch him, not without a fight. A fight that would bring the Caldera guards.

Hung swallowed, and then turned on his heel and ran for the back gate. He was through it and out of her sight within a few heartbeats, leaving her standing at the window, covered in sweat.

She let out a breath, and all of the strength went out of her body. She hit her knees, gulping in air, trying to stop the panic from rushing over her. She felt sick, like she was going throw up any moment. The taste of peaches flooded her tongue, and it was bitter and choking.

“What did I do?” she said, and then she lost her hold on her stomach. She brought up the peach, and then dry-heaved, the sick smell hitting her nostrils like a punch to the gut.

She was drenched with sweat, shaking, by the time she had finished. She wiped at her mouth, pushing her hair back. Her teeth slammed together, and she tightened her fists, picking up her fallen fan.

She lurched back to her feet. She refused to fall again.

This was no time to fall apart and she knew it. Not now. Not when Piandao and Suki and Ty Lee needed her. Her jaw tightened as she turned, staring at the churned up bed. She could still smell sex in the air and it made her stomach roll over again.

She could smell Hung on her skin, on her clothes. She needed to leave, now, before he came back, but somehow she knew that he wouldn't. Not yet.

He had left for a reason. She didn't trust him, but she was sure that he meant what he'd said. He had protected her, in his own selfish way.

That meant she had time to plan.

She stripped, and climbed into the shower, scrubbing at her skin until she felt raw. She got out and gathered more clothing from one of the closets. No one would ever miss these things. She braided her hair back, and tucked her fan into the front of her dress. Then she strapped on the Kyoshi blade she had taken from Viz in Piandao's suite.

A half-hour after Hung had fled, she left Lady Lian's abandoned house, with its old bloodstains and echoing nightmares.

She made her way through the streets, keeping to the back alleys. She didn't encounter any Caldera guards. The streets were empty.

She climbed on top of a large fence, and then climbed a tree. She moved along the branches, jumping lightly from one to the other, and then landing in a crouch on top of a red-tiled roof much like Lady Lian's. Unlike Hung, she didn't slip. She walked carefully to a jutting eve and crouched down behind the ornate finial, making herself as small as possible.

She had a good view of the palace from here. She watched the guards in their towers. Watched wagons come and go. Watched everything.

And she waited for the sun to go down.

“I'm coming, Piandao.”

* * *

“Tamarind!”

Piandao woke with a start, half-remembered dreams on his lips. He tried to get up, but found that he couldn't move. Confusion rolled through him, and then, with a biting sensation, pain. He groaned, trying to move his hands, but they were bound to the bed.

He looked down at his cuffed hands, and then at his chest. The wound in his chest where the assassin's blade had caught him had been redressed, but the stitches Nam-Kyu had put in it ached, as if they had been pulled.

He remembered the fight in the corridor, then his eyes squeezed shut tightly. He remembered more than just the fight. He remembered Tamarind.

And he remembered being stabbed in the side.

That accounted for the pain in his gut, though he couldn't make out the wound from his position. He could feel the bandage, wound tightly around his midsection, however. The pain was sharp, but he knew it wasn't nearly as sharp as it should have been. He'd taken gut wounds before.

That meant he'd been drugged.

He licked his dry lips, and tried to move again, but to no avail. He drifted then, back into a haze of drugged pain. When he came to again, an indeterminate amount of time later, he knew that he was not alone in the little room.

“Tamarind?” he asked stupidly, peering at the figure sitting beside his bed. The room was dark.

“You've been saying her name a lot,” a familiar voice said. Chills immediately ran down Piandao's spine, and he jerked on the bed. A light flared up above a gnarled fingertip, illuminating the Grand Sage's bearded face.

“Bastard! Where is she?”

“Not here. Your little Kyoshi whore got away, but not for long. We'll find her, Piandao. And we'll tear her apart.”

“Touch her and--”

“And what? You are making empty threats, Piandao,” Luzhuo said, lighting a small lantern beside the bed. He set it down, and the glow filled the room, orange shadows everywhere. Luzhuo stared back at him, and his lips curled. “Do you know how tempting it was to simply smother you in your sleep and be done with it?”

“I'm sure it was overwhelming,” Piandao said, looking at the ceiling. His jaw tightened. “What do you want, Luzhuo? Did you come to taunt me? Call me a traitor? Whip me for pleasure again?”

“You deserved every one of those lashes, and you know it as well as I do.”

Piandao turned his head and glared at him. His lip curled. “I never admitted to anything but guilt for what I did, and you know that. But we both remember just how much you enjoyed tying me up and whipping me until I was nearly dead at your feet. Just how hard it made you. I've always wondered if your men noticed it too.”

Luzhuo's smile was slow and sharp. “I don't know what you mean, Piandao. What I did to you brought me no pleasure. But what I did to _her_...”

Piandao's went very still. “What?”

“Your dear Hotaru, the woman you loved. The one who betrayed you. She begged me for leniency. Did you know that? Begged on her knees. I was going to have you burned, but... She was so convincing...so... _accommodating_... That I was moved to a lesser sentence.”

Piandao knew Luzhuo could see the rage and pain in his eyes, but he didn't hide it. He couldn't.

“You lie.”

Luzhuo smiled knowingly. “I didn't allow her to get married in the temple when she found someone more suitable than a traitor, you know. How could I let her sully the temple after that? After what you made her do?”

Piandao stared up at the ceiling, pain rearing through him, and it had nothing to do with the wound in his side. It was an old wound, and it had been festering in his soul for far too long.

But Hotaru was in the past. She had remarried, had her children, and lived her life far from him. She was happy. And that was all that mattered. Luzhuo was just trying to torture him.

He wouldn't give him the satisfaction.

“What do you want from me, Luzhuo? Aren't you the Steward now? Don't you have a nation to run?” he said in a hollow voice. “Or did you come to kill me?”

“If I had wanted you dead, you would be.”

“Did you send Viz to kill me?”

“I don't know what you're talking about. You're the one who is plotting and planning murders, Piandao. We found the evidence of what you've done. It was all over your suite. Letters from the Seneschal. Letters to the assassin who tried to kill Guo. You were Suki's liaison. You planned everything with her.”

His eyes drifted shut, his jaw tight. He had known they would try something like this.

“More lies.”

“Poor Hotaru needn't have debased herself the way she did. She bought you twenty-five years, but oh, Piandao... You will burn. And so will your little Kyoshi slut.”

“You won't find her. She got away,” he snarled, losing control of the rage swirling in him. He couldn't help it. He didn't want Tamarind anywhere near Luzhuo, who made his skin crawl and always had.

“Oh, but my sources tell me you and she have gotten quite close recently, haven't you? She's been sleeping in your suite. In your bed. My, my Piandao... You certainly know how to pluck the fruit while it's still fresh.”

“FUCK YOU!” Piandao exploded, jerking in his bonds. Luzhuo sat back in his chair and stroked his beard. There was a nasty smile on his lips. His eyes narrowed. “What do you want from me?”

“She's going to come for you. I know she will. She's a Kyoshi Warrior. They're annoying like that. But it's more than that, sin't it? You've been moaning her name, desperate for her. Are you in love with her, Piandao?"

"Leave her alone," he said, his voice breaking. His hands rattled the cuffs chaining him to the bed.

"So you do love her. Well, well, well. When she does come for you, we'll capture her. And we'll burn her. Did you hear me, Piandao. I will burn her myself. Unless...”

Luzhuo's words shimmered on the air, and Piandao stilled. He didn't want to ask, but he knew Luzhuo wasn't going to say anything until he did.

“Unless what?”

Luzhuo smiled and leaned forward.

“Unless you live up to your reputation. _Traitor.”_


	24. Hung & Tam

“You failed me. You defied me.”

“I haven't. I... I didn't,” Hung argued, head bowed, afraid to look up and meet the judging eyes of the man standing before him.

“Silence,” came the soft reply. There was no anger in his voice, only a coldness that stung like ice. Hung swallowed, shaking. “I gave you a task. You failed that task and not only did you fail, but you lied to me. I am not a forgiving man, Hung.”

“It was Luzhuo. The... The Grand Sage!” Hung said, his head coming up at last. His mouth was dry, his face aching and starting to bruise from the fight in Lady Lian's empty house. “He ordered me to do it. I thought... I thought the orders were from you!”

Guo, seated in a large and comfortable chair in his luxurious office, looked like a king surveying his kingdom with utmost disdain. The fake assassination attempt that had left him unconscious in the healing ward for days on end had left its mark on him, there was no doubt about that. He looked frailer than before, and he'd lost weight.

But there was something about him, frailness or not, that gave him a sinister air. It was fey and otherworldly, and it made the hair on the back of Hung's neck stand up. His teeth chattered, fear rising in him like a snake.

“Yes, Luzhuo has been particularly... Independent of late. He seized power while I was healing, and he seems to think that makes me weak, and he strong. He forgets himself,” Guo said, and the coldness in his voice betrayed something; a simmering hatred.

Hung wondered if Luzhuo knew how much Guo despised him. He'd be a fool not to realize it. Just as Guo was no fool. He knew full well, and always had, how much Luzhuo wanted the power Guo had, and how much the Grand Sage resented Guo for it.

“And you forget yourself as well, Hung. You failed me. You lied to me. You tried to help Luzhuo murder Piandao. You knew I would be angry. And yet you came back here. To me. Why?”

“To prove my loyalty to you. I swear, I did not know that the orders to murder Piandao didn't come from you. I swear!”

“You swear?” he drawled, amusement heavy in his voice. “Or perhaps you were so eager to have her for your own that you jumped at the chance to kill Piandao? Did you not tell me that Piandao has an interest in the girl?”

“I thought he did,” he said, glancing back at Guo, and then back at the bloodstain. “But he rejected her.”

“Rejected her how?”

“Said he didn't want her.”

“Is that why she slept with you?”

His head shot up and he sucked in a lungful of air through his nose. Guo laughed, the softest sound, full of derision. Heat flooded his bruised face, and he poked his tongue into the split in his lip. He hadn't told Guo what had happened, only that Tam had discovered that he was a Smoke Demon.

Somehow, Guo had known.

“I don't know,” he said with a growl in his voice. Guo came around to stand in front of him again, and he looked up at him, anger resting on his brow.

“Is that why you fought my men in that hallway, Hung? Why you escaped with her and left Piandao for dead? Why you followed Luzhuo's orders over my own? Because you wanted her?”

“I...” He stopped and swallowed, his mouth dry, his skin stinging from all of the cuts traced into his skin. He'd gone out two windows the hard way in the last day alone. He still had glass in his hair.

And the taste of Tam on his lips.

“Go on. Tell the truth for once.”

He glanced at Guo again and then down at the floor between his knees. He was kneeling on the rug, a rug, he noticed with a sick twist in his guts, that was stained with blood. Like Lady Lian's home, someone had done a hasty and poor job of getting the stain out of the carpet.

He knew whose blood it was. Who else could it be?

He had killed Viz to protect Tam, to keep Viz from telling them he had failed to kill her. Obviously, Viz had run straight to Guo and died right here, in this very spot. He didn't think it was a coincidence that Guo had ordered him to kneel here.

He was walking a razor's edge and he knew it. His lies were piling on each other, threatening to collapse like a house of cards. Sweat slicked his skin as he stared at the bloodstains.

Guo had ordered him to watch over Piandao. Piandao was a threat, a warrior who would be loyal to the Fire Lord and would attempt to protect Suki. That Piandao had done exactly as Guo had predicted only proved what a threat he was. He had been told to find Piandao's weakness, something Guo could exploit.

He had found something alright: Tam.

“I only fought your men because I was spotted with her. It was self-protection.”

“Spotted with her? Because you were protecting her.”

“I didn't think she was a threat,” he said, his heart beating hard.

“She's a Kyoshi Warrior. All of them are threats to us. To _me_. To this Nation. She's a whore.”

He felt heat behind his ears and he stared at the blood on the rug. “She's... She's not like the rest of them. She's... She's different.”

“Just because you fucked her doesn't mean she's different, Hung,” Guo said in a voice that was as brittle as glass. “Look at yourself. What did she do to you when she found out what you were?”

“She... She fought me.”

“Of course, she did. You're her enemy. She will never see you as anything but that. She will never understand men like you and me, that we work for the greater good. That she is a poison to our people, to our way of life.”

He could hear his heartbeat in his ears again, thinking of Tam in his arms, her mouth on his. And the way she had looked at him, when she'd seen the tattoo his desire had driven him to forget entirely. He had let his guard down, taken what he'd wanted... And she had looked at him in nothing but disgust.

Guo stood and came over to him, standing over him, his feet framing the bloodstain.

“She... She used me.”

“That's what they do. Just like her slut of a sister, who seduced our Fire Lord and thinks to weaken our Nation with her dirty blood,” Guo said, and he reached out, one hand on top of Hung's head. “That's why I am doing this, Hung. I have to save our Nation from people like her. You are only a man. Weak, and easily lead astray. Like Piandao. Like Zuko.”

He swallowed, eyes drifting shut.

“Yes. I was lead astray. I forgot what I am, who I am,” he said, his voice tight. Guo's hand lightly stroked the top of his head, threading into his hair. “And I forgot what she is.”

“A whore.”

“Yes. A whore,” he said, his voice hard. “My enemy.”

Guo's hand left his hair and he walked behind him. “You won't forget again, will you?”

“No, my Lord,” he said, shaking his head. “On my honor, I swear, I won't forget again. She is my enemy.”

But his heart was aching, a longing in him that wouldn't go away. There was pain there too. Her words echoed in his head, her hatred and disgust scalding him like boiling water. A rising anger that soaked through him the more he thought of the way she had rejected him.

Guo stood behind him for a long moment, and he felt the man's eyes on the back of his neck. He forgot about Tam, and fear rolled through him. He had failed Guo. He had taken a risk coming back, but he'd been too afraid to run. There was no way to get out of the Caldera without fighting past the guards. He had been trapped, out of options.

All he had left was Guo's mercy.

“I should kill you. You murdered Viz. He told me everything while lying right there,” Guo said. “He told me how you put a knife in his guts. He warned me that Luzhuo had gone behind my back. He used his last breath proving his loyalty to me.”

“I will do anything to prove myself to you, Guo. I swear.”

Guo licked his lips and sat back down in his chair. "Anything?”

He glanced up at him again. “I'll do anything you want. Anything, I swear!”

But Guo was musing a little, breathing raggedly from his short walk. He looked more frail than before, and his hand drifted to the bandages Hung could see peeking from the front of his silk robes. He seemed to be thinking about something, his eyes drifting to the fire burning in the hearth.

“I'm awaiting word from Nobu. He will bring the Fire Lord back to the Fire Nation in a few days, just in time to see her for what she really is. The Phoenix Fire is in place. Everything is aligned as I planned. Soon I'll have Kamen convince her to do what's right. She will comply. And then... Then everything I've worked for will come to fruition.”

“Yes, my Lord...”

“I cannot leave anything to chance, Hung. Luzhuo has obviously grown too bold. I believe he'll try to seize more power for himself. He already has the Stewardship...a role I had never intended him to have. He defied me, went behind my back. So close to my goals now, I find I no longer have need of him, or the danger he represents.”

Hung swallowed hard. “You want me to...”

Guo looked at him, and their eyes met. “Kill our illustrious Grand Sage. Prove your loyalty and put an end to our Steward.”

“Y-yes, my Lord,” Hung said, and his fear redoubled. “What about the Kyoshi Warrior? She is still out there. She'll come for Piandao.”

“Oh, I'm counting on it. And so is Luzhuo.”

* * *

Tam had taken water and some of the food Hung had bought with her when she'd left Lady Lian's house, but for once her appetite had fled. Crouched down on the rooftop, she spent most of the day sipping water from the water skin she'd filled, and watching the Caldera, and the palace walls.

No one had spotted her, and the Caldera streets were oddly empty, except for the occasional servant rushing by with groceries and packages, and the few citizens braving the streets for a stroll in the sunshine.

The Caldera guards were still conspicuous in their absence, and the creeping feeling she'd been having since the night before, when she and Hung had easily escaped the palace without being spotted, wouldn't go away. It got worse and worse, as she sat there, baking on the rough and uncomfortable tile roof.

She felt sick, and it was more than just her fear. She kept thinking about Hung, and what she'd done. She kept going back over it, over every interaction she'd had with Hung, wondering how she'd missed that he was a Smoke Demon.

But no matter how hard she looked, she couldn't think of anything that he'd done to give himself away. Not really.

He had lied to her. He had been charming and funny, and she had fallen for it, hook, line, and sinker. And she'd been so intent on forgetting about Piandao that she hadn't seen what was right in front of her face.

Every time she closed her eyes, she could see that tattoo on his stomach, and pain kept rushing over her in waves. It felt like something was crushing her chest. She still felt dirty, despite the shower she'd had before leaving.

She felt used. Raw. Sick.

And it was all, every bit of it, her fault.

She had known sleeping with him was a bad idea, and she'd still done it. She was always making mistakes like that. Thinking with her hormones and not her head. She was good at fucking things up. Especially her own life.

She rubbed at her aching ankle, where Hung had pulled glass out of her skin. It hurt, like there was still glass in it, but she didn't have the tools to dig the rest of it out. She focused on the pain, hoping that would distract her from her thoughts.

Predictably, it did not.

Just as the sun was starting to set, she saw movement, the gates to the large wall surrounding the palace swinging open. She shifted to her knees, still keeping down on top of the roof, watching as neat and orderly rows of Caldera guards marched out of the gates and into the Caldera. Her nose wrinkled, watching them walking, wondering where they were going and why they had been in the palace.

Perhaps they had held a funeral for Viz? But so soon? That didn't seem right to her. Perhaps a meeting? She couldn't even begin to guess why they had abandoned the streets during a crisis.

Whatever the reason, she had a feeling she wouldn't like it even if she knew.

She bit down on her lip, watching them as they marched in the direction of the guard barracks where most of the guard was housed when they weren't on duty. Something about the way they were walking put her back up. It put her ill at ease; something was wrong.

She glanced back at the palace and then up at the sun. It would be dark soon. She wanted to follow them, and figure out what they had been doing all day, but she didn't have the time.

She waited there, vibrating with the need to act, to move, to do something until the light died and the stars came out. Then she was moving, sliding off of the roof and leaving her untouched food and water skin behind.

The biggest risk was running across the wide open space ringing the palace walls, but the guard towers weren't lit up the way they usually were. Just like last night.

That didn't sit well with her either, but she wasn't going to get answers tonight and she knew it.

She also knew every secret way into the palace. All of the Kyoshi Warriors did. They knew ways to get in the palace guards didn't even know. They kept those ways secret. Just in case. Suki had drilled those ways into their heads long ago. She could breach the palace walls in her sleep, with her eyes closed, and one hand tied behind her back.

She did it now with fear sweat soaking her, and the smell of burning flesh in her nostrils. By the time she landed in the garden, her fear had worn off. There were no guards. The palace was deathly quiet.

She scaled another tree, and slipped in through a window with a broken latch that had never been fixed. She landed in a crouch, but the room was empty, a guest room that was rarely used unless the palace was full for an event.

It was harder out in the hallway, but the palace was as quiet as the Caldera had been. She wanted to run for the healing ward, or the dungeon, but she didn't.

She knew she only had one shot at getting Piandao, Suki, and Ty Lee out of there. She couldn't free all three of them alone. She needed help. Her allies were thin on the ground at the moment, but she wasn't totally alone.

She kept her head down, moving through the palace with as much stealth as she could muster, hoping she knew where she was going. By the time she had reached her destination, she was covered in sweat, sure guards would surround her.

She knocked on the door lightly, and waited only a few moments before it swung open. She didn't give the man on the other side a chance to say anything, swarming forward, her hand going over his mouth as he let out a squawk of surprise.

She shoved him back from the doorway and slammed the door behind her with her foot. She threw the lock home, as he made another sound.

She lifted her finger to her lips and made a soft shushing sound, brows lifting. He nodded, and she eased her grip on his face and lowered her hand.

“WHERE THE FUCK HAVE YOU BEEN?” Fen hissed at her immediately, and she shoved him back from the door some more, into the middle of the room. “What happened to that whole elaborate plan to get you into that storage room so you could be safe? Huh?”

“Plan changed! They were going to arrest Piandao! Did you know Viz is dead?”

“I heard,” Fen said. “They were having some kind of meeting with the palace and caldera guards today.”

“What was it about?”

“I don't know. Wasn't invited,” he said and shook his head. “I did find out that Piandao was injured, and I heard you went out the window with that hot guard. What happened?”

Her face hardened, jaw clenching. Then she told him everything that had happened. She left out the part where she'd slept with Hung though. Just saying the words out loud made her want to retch, guilt rolling through her in painful waves.

Fen listened with mounting horror on his face.

“And you let him get away?” he hissed, gesturing to the door behind her.

“I didn't _let_ him! I don't know where he went, and I don't care,” she said, her voice hard, as she glanced around at Fen's suite. She did a double-take, her eyes widening.

She had no idea why, but she'd assumed that Zuko's fussy, and almost psychotically neat and orderly secretary would live in a place where dust would be afraid to settle. But the room she was standing in was a disaster zone at best. There were stacks of books everywhere, papers teetering precariously from every surface and slipping underfoot. Some of it was wadded up and looked like garbage that hadn't been taken out in years.

There were clothes scattered around, and, on three different shelves shoved into the corners, little porcelain figurines that looked delicate and were probably beautiful beneath the layers of dust and cobwebs draping them. There were broken vases and other items scattered around, and teacups. So many teacups.

“You live like this?” she asked before she could stop herself, gesturing to a plate of dried noodles that were giving off a bad odor. Or she hoped the smell was coming from the mummified noodles. Who really knew, in this mess.

Fen glanced around and his face grew red. “I know where everything is! I have a system!”

“I hope when Zuko was looking for his mom he came here first,” she mumbled, toeing a pair of gold underwear. He huffed and bent, snatching the underwear up and then tossing them onto a lump she realized was probably a sofa.

“Can we focus?” Fen snapped, crossing his arms over his chest. “I heard Piandao was out of surgery. I assume you're here to break him out?”

“Of course. And Suki too. And Ty Lee. I'm not leaving any of my friends here. We're getting out before they decide it would be easier to just kill us all and take the throne.”

“I think they already decided that about you,” he pointed out grimly. “If they catch you, they'll kill you.”

“They can try,” she said firmly.

“And they will,” he said, brows rising. Then he sighed. “They moved Captain Ty Lee to the prison on the other side of the Caldera. We're not getting her out tonight, not unless we have an army. Which we don't.”

“Damn...” she said, but she knew that he was right. They'd figure out a way to free Ty Lee soon. “And Suki? Did you hear anything about her? How is she?”

Fen's face fell. “They moved her to the dungeons. They're going to start the trial soon. They're not waiting for word from Duke Ru about Zuko, and they... They say they found evidence that Piandao and Suki planned everything.”

“We know that's a lie,” she said, and then bit her lip. “And we have no proof. If I show my face they'll kill me or arrest me. Our only hope is a prison break, but I can't do it alone, Fen. I know you're not a fighter, but...you're all I have.”

But Fen's lips twisted. “Not all you have. There's Lio. Piandao knocked him out before the fight. No one suspects he's been working with you two. I can get word to him.”

“Good. I forgot about Lio... That's three. That's... I can work with that... Bring him here. We'll break them out tonight.”

“You may want to wait, Tam,” Fen said, surprising her. He went over to a large pile of papers (on what she guessed was a desk) and pulled a small, rolled-up scroll off of the top of it. He handed it to her. “I got this message this morning. I didn't show it to anyone else. No one knows.”

Tam unrolled the message and scanned the letter. Her breath hitched and a smile slid across her lips. Hope sprang up in her, wild and unconstrained. When she looked up at Fen, he was smirking at her.

“Katara's coming.”


	25. Tam & Piandao

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger Warning: Blood & Gore & Violence

“I want to help you,” Lio said. “But I'm afraid I've been demoted.”

“Demoted?” Fen exclaimed. “What? Why?”

“They said it was because of my injury,” he said, gesturing the bandage on his head. “When I woke up in the healing ward this morning, I was informed that my services as Captain were no longer needed. They've promoted someone else, though I haven't been informed who that is. I haven't spoken to anyone since. The palace has been...”

“Empty,” Tam said, a chill running up her spine. Lio met her eyes and nodded.

“You've noticed it too?” he said, brows rising.

“How can I not? And it's not just the palace. The Caldera too. There are hardly any guards on the streets. Even the palace guard towers are empty.”

“They're what?” Fen exclaimed and went over to the window, peering out past the fogged up glass, the pounding rain, which hadn't abated all morning, running down the panes in streaming rivulets. “I can't see anything... Why would they abandon the guard towers?”

“And where are the guards?” Lio said, his voice grave and grim. “I don't like this. I'm surprised they haven't arrested me.”

“Arrest you for what?” Fen asked, coming back over to them, his feet picking a sure path through the chaos on the floor. She didn't know how he did it; she'd managed to trip over the clutter on the floor no less than ten times that morning.

“I don't know. I'm sure they would have thought of a reason.”

“Pi probably saved you by knocking you out before that fight,” Tam said, worrying her hands together, feeling a restless energy surging through her again. She hadn't had much rest, not for days now, but her exhaustion hadn't caught up with her yet. She was too worried about Piandao and Suki to do more than sit for a few minutes at a time.

“I have no doubt of that,” Lio said, and then touched his head. “Wish he'd hit me a lot less hard than he did.”

“Did you hear anything about him in the healing ward? What about Nam-Kyu?”

“The old healer is fine. I heard her yelling at her people before I left. She had surgery on her hip. I don't think she'll be walking any time soon, but she should recover.” Tam let out a breath but hitched it again when Lio went on. “Piandao had surgery as well, but... I don't think he was in the healing ward when I left this morning.”

Her heart leaped. “What? What do you mean? Where would they take him? He was hurt!”

She had counted on him still being in the healing ward, a place she knew well and could break into easily. If they'd moved him...

“I don't know,” Lio said with a sigh. “And the situation in the palace... Poking around may get me killed. I did hear something interesting, though. Master Katara is here. They took her to see the Grand Sage and Guo as I was on my way here.”

“She's here already!” Tam exclaimed, and then glanced at Fen. “We need to do this now then. We can't wait. Lio, do you know where they'd take her?”

“One of the guest suites they always keep ready for visitors,” Lio said, without hesitation. “Even with the lockdown, it would be ready for someone.”

“Then take me there. Right now. I have to talk to Katara.”

“What if they arrest her or something?”

“Like they would arrest the Avatar's wife?” Tam snorted. “And I've seen Katara in action. I'd pay half my year's wages to see her water-smack Luzhuo in the face the minute he tried it.”

“Good point,” Fen said and glanced at Lio. “Are you in?”

“If you sure about this?” Captain Lio asked, glancing at Fen and then back at her. “I don't know what the guards are doing, but they're still searching for you.”

She thought of Hung as she took a breath and glanced at the sky beyond Fen's suite windows. The light was dim, but it was only mid-afternoon.

“I have to get to Katara before they really do try something.”

“You should let me do it,” Fen said. “Or Lio.”

“Full offense, Fen, but if I stay in here one more minute I might scream,” she said, gesturing to the mess strewn about the room. “You said they took her to speak to Luzhuo?”

“And Guo,” Lio said.

Tam frowned. “Why Guo?”

Lio shrugged, but Fen answered, “Guo knows Katara. I don't think the Grand Sage has ever met her.”

“That's good then,” Tam breathed. “If Luzhuo brought Guo to speak to her then he's probably not planning on attacking Katara right away.”

But Fen's brow went up. “You really think Luzhuo is behind this?”

“He has to be. He hates Piandao and took over the Stewardship before Zuko was even reported missing. It's too fishy.”

“Okay,” Fen said, and then rubbed at his forehead. “So if he's behind this, then he was behind the assassination attempt on Guo? Right? Guo didn't die. And Luzhuo is having him do his dirty work now? Because...?”

Tam licked her lips, struck by the truth in Fen's words. “That's a good point... Maybe... Maybe it doesn't matter if Guo died or not? They were trying to frame Suki, right? Well, they did. She's been arrested. Why would Luzhuo need to kill him now? Who would he blame for it? Other than me, I guess.”

“You're not wrong,” Lio said. “And standing around here won't get us answers, I'm afraid. If you're sure about this, then I'll take you now. Are you ready?”

Tam nodded and smoothed her hands down her borrowed guard's uniform, which Fen had gotten for her before going to find Lio. There was no time to waste. She had to get to Katara, and together they would break Suki and Piandao out. With a Master Waterbender on her side, she doubted anything could get in their way. Not even the Grand Sage.

 _Or Hung_ , she thought, feeling sick. She pushed the thoughts of him away. She had been trying very hard not to dwell on him. She felt like a fool, having fallen for his lies so easily. She had seen what she'd wanted to see, she supposed. She had liked him, _really_ liked him, and that made it all the worse for her. She felt dirty, used... Ashamed.

She didn't like the feeling. Not one bit.

If she saw Hung again, she'd...

 _What? Kill him?_ she mused to herself, as Lio went to the door of Fen's suite and looked out into the hallway. She didn't know what she would do if she saw Hung again. She hoped she didn't have to find out, because she didn't trust herself, or him. Especially not him.

Lio closed the door again and turned to her. “Keep up and keep your head down. Things in the palace... I don't know what's going on, but I intend to find out,” Lio whispered, his voice grim, and on edge.

She nodded again, and when he opened the door a second time, Fen caught his arm, his hand sliding to Lio's and squeezing his fingers.

“Be careful, Lio. Don't let that one get you into trouble.”

Lio hitched in a small smile, the tips of his ears going red. “I won't, Fen. Besides, I still owe you dinner. I intend to make good on that.”

“You'd better,” Fen said, and glanced at her and she looked between them, a smile on her lips. “What?”

“Flirterers,” she said, and this time Fen's face went red as well.

“Shut up,” Fen said in a surly growl. Then he pulled her into a fiercely tight hug. “You be careful too. I'll be waiting. Tell Katara I said hi.”

“I will. Be ready. This is probably going to end badly.”

“The plan, or your love life?”

“Bitch,” she shot at Fen, who grinned at her. The grin dropped off of his mouth, however.

“Just be careful.”

His grim warning followed her out of the door and down the hallway. She walked closely behind Lio, and keeping her head down. The hallways were still ominously empty, and she found herself looking around out the corner of her eye. She had lived in the palace for years, and she had never seen it so dead. It bothered Lio too. She could tell by how jumpy he was.

They made it to a corridor lined with guest suites on the second floor, and Lio held his arm out, pushing her back as a servant came out of a room, carrying linens, and pushing a cart full of cleaning supplies. The servant walked down the corridor in the opposite direction.

“That has to be it,” he said and gestured for her to follow him. The door wasn't locked, and when he opened the door, warm light flooded the room. The servant had lit a fire in the hearth, clearly anticipating a guest. Tam looked around the lushly appointed room and then back at Lio.

“What about you?”

“I need to find out where they're keeping Piandao, or this will be for nothing,” Lio said. “I'll meet you back here in two hours. If I don't get arrested.”

She watched the Captain leave and turned back to the rest of the room. Afraid more servants would enter the room, she went into the bedroom, and looked around. There weren't a lot of places to hide, but she chose under the bed, with its clear sightline to the doorway.

She didn't have to wait long before she heard voices in the suite and thought she recognized a voice. The door opened again, and silence filled the suite.

 _Now or never..._ Tam thought and climbed out from under the bed. She crept to the door and opened it slowly, ready for a fight. Ready for anything.

She just spotted a long sheet of dark hair, and blue clothing, before the woman standing before the hearth whipped around, throwing a long whip of water at her that sailed straight toward her face.

“Whoa!” Tam froze, hands lifted, eyes widening as the water stopped inches from her freckled cheeks and stayed there for half a second. Then it fell to the floor at her feet with a splash.

“Tam!” Katara ran at her and pulled her into a tight hug, which she returned, her heart hammering hard in her chest. “What are you doing here? They told me you're a fugitive!”

“I am!” Tam said as she pulled back. “And you're going to help me break Suki and Piandao out of here.”

Katara blinked at her in shock for a moment. Then her expression changed to one of grim determination, her lips pulled into a sideways smirk and her blue eyes glittering. “You're damned right I am. I don't know what is going on here, but I just had a nasty run-in with the new Steward.”

“Luzhuo.”

“I don't know what he has planned, but I don't trust him. The sooner we get Suki and Piandao out of here the better.”

“And Ty Lee,” she said quickly. “But she's in the prison, not the palace. We'll have to think of some way to get her out of there. But we need to get Suki out first. And Pi... Pi's hurt...”

But Katara caught her shoulders tightly. “Tam, is it true? Is Suki pregnant?”

Tam nodded. “Yeah. She just found out. Zuko doesn't even know yet. Spirits... Have you heard anything about Zuko?”

Katara winced. “There was some kind of explosion in Ba Sing Se. I don't know much. There's a lot I need to tell you. The evidence against Suki? Her mother's dagger?”

“Yeah?”

“An assassin tried to kill Sokka with one just like it back in Republic City. Now he's missing. So is Mai.”

Tam's eyes widened, her mouth agape. “...What? Does Luzhuo know?”

“I didn't tell him. I don't want more evidence against Suki. I know she didn't do this. She wouldn't,” Katara said. “It all has to be connected. But I don't know how.”

Tam licked her lips. “It doesn't matter right now. None of it matters if we don't get them out. I have Zuko's secretary Fen, and Captain Lio on my side. We can get them out. We might have to fight our way into the dungeon to get Suki, but—”

But Katara smiled grimly. “We don't have to fight our way down there. They've given me permission to see her tomorrow morning. I can get Suki out, if you can get to Piandao.”

Tam took a breath, and for the first time since she'd watched Piandao get stabbed, she felt a flicker of hope. Dangerous, wild, toe-tingling hope. She nodded, her eyes burning.

“Trust me, it would take an army to keep me from Piandao.”

* * *

A fist smashed across Piandao's face, knocking stars and bursts of light into his graying vision. He sagged in the manacles chaining him to the ceiling, blood and saliva stringing from his lip and to the floor between his knees. The wounds in his chest, and on his side were bleeding, the pain fierce and bright. Every breath was agony.

Another blow hammered him in the stomach, knocking the air out of him. He gasped and his head went back, throat exposed. He stared up at the ceiling with a swimming, unfocused gaze.

“Are you done?”

“I am... A leaf on the wind...” Piandao groaned through each ragged, searing breath. The guard standing above him tightened the chain wound around his fist and then punched him again. He took a bit of skin with him, and the pain and blood grayed out his vision completely.

He came to with the guard pushing his head back, slapping his cheek to bring him around.

“Are you done?”

“I am... A raindrop in a waterfall...” he said, and the guard hit him again. His head drooped forward, blood and sweat slicking down his bare chest. He was covered in bruises, and the old scars stood out, stark and bleak, aching with pains long past healing.

His eyes drifted closed, and he was sure that he passed out again, because when he came to, there was more light in the room, and the guard was gone. He looked up and met Luzhuo's gaze.

“You look like shit,” Piandao said, as Luzhuo stood over him. Luzhuo looked shaken, his face ashen beneath his beard, which looked ragged and thin, as if he'd been pulling tufts of it out. “S'matter? Pressures of the Stewardship getting to you, Lu?”

“Master Katara is here. It seems you sent for her. For the Avatar.”

Piandao smiled, showing blood-coated teeth. “Sure did. Fuck you.”

Luzhuo's brow arched. “That's no way to speak to the man who holds your life in his hands. And your dear sweet Tamarind's life too. Unless you've forgotten?”

“You haven't caught her. You won't. Do whatever you want to me,” he said, and then he spat at Luzhuo. The glob of blood and spit hit Luzhuo right in the face. He flinched, pulling out a silk handkerchief from his sleeve.

He watched Luzhuo dab at his cheek, wiping off the glob. Then he took a breath, and his hand struck out. Piandao was ready for the blow, rolling his head to take the worst of it. It still hurt, but it didn't knock him out again.

“I'm giving you a chance you don't deserve, Piandao. This is your only way out.”

“Why?” Piandao said, looking up through his loose, sweat-drenched hair at Luzhuo. “Why not kill me? You've always wanted to, Luzhuo. I'm a traitor. You have evidence against me. You could say I tried to escape. You could justify my death in a million ways. Why not kill me?”

“You are still useful to me and you know that.”

But Piandao shook his head. “You have men at your beck and call. That soldier you just had beat me? Get him to do your dirty work. Why force me to do it?”

“I don't care if you die in the attempt.”

“That I believe. But it's not that,” Piandao said, spitting onto the floor. He looked back up at Luzhuo. “You have no one else. Do you? These aren't your men, are they? You don't trust them. You're the Steward... But I know you. You don't have the patience for a long game like this. To frame Suki? Me? Oh, you're vicious enough. Sadistic. But you're not a planner, Luzhuo. Whoever is pulling your strings? That's the real power. You're just a fucking lackey.”

Luzhuo's eyelids lowered, his mouth set with anger.

“You accuse me of treason? You? A known traitor to this Nation?”

“We both know Suki and I are innocent. You framed us. Don't act innocent,” Piandao breathed. “You wouldn't ask me to do this if you had any other choice. If you had any leverage against anyone else.”

“Perhaps I'm just enjoying this? You are a traitor. No one will be surprised. No one will care. This is for the good of the Fire Nation.”

“You just want the throne.”

“I already have it,” Luzhuo said in a hard, possessive voice. “And I intend to keep it. Zuko is coming back here. Soon. And your little whore? Sweet Tamarind? When she comes for you, I'll take her Piandao. I'll do whatever I want to her, while you watch. Until you break. And you will break. That I promise you.”

“You won't touch her. And I won't do it. I won't.”

“You will,” Luzhuo said, as a knock sounded on the door. It opened a moment later and Piandao thought, for a moment, that he had slipped unconscious again. But when Hung met his eyes, he jerked in his chains, trying to get to his feet. He lurched forward, as Luzhuo spun on Hung.

“NO! Hung! Where's Tamarind? You were supposed to keep her safe!” Piandao said, looking past Hung, expecting to see Tamarind. But Hung was alone.

Alone. And not in chains.

A cold realization started in Piandao's heaving chest as he met Hung's eyes. Hung's face was bruised and cut. And he was glaring at him, hatred burning in his eyes.

“What did you do?” Piandao whispered, his voice low and filled with growing rage. “Where is she? WHERE IS SHE?”

He rattled the chains suspending from the ceiling, trying to get to his feet again. Hung ignored him, his eyes on the Grand Sage now.

“What are you doing here?” Luzhuo sneered. “The last I heard you ran off with the whore. You were supposed to kill her. I thought you turned traitor.”

“I was acting under orders,” Hung said, as Piandao wrapped his hands around the chains, and gained his feet, sweating and panting with the effort, pain exploding down his bleeding side.

“What orders?”

“Do you really want to question his orders?” Hung said softly, though Piandao heard the words. Cold dread rode through him, his suspicions of Luzhuo's part in this all but confirmed.

Whatever was going on, Luzhuo was definitely not the one in charge.

He didn't care about any of that at the moment, however. He only had eyes for Hung, standing there with bruises on his face. Standing there alone, speaking to Luzhuo like a friend. A conspirator.

A traitor.

Luzhuo took the rebuke with an angry snarl and reached out, grasping Hung's hair and yanking him toward him. “You really want to anger me right now, boy? What do you want?”

Hung's eyes traced from Luzhuo's face to Piandao, and Piandao saw what Luzhuo had missed. Hung's hand on a dagger, poised at Luzhuo's side.

But it disappeared just as quickly, right back into the sheath at his belt. Luzhuo didn't seemed to notice, or realize how close he'd come to being stabbed.

“What are you doing to him? Shouldn't he be in a cell?” Hung asked, as Luzhuo let go of him.

“I'm having fun with our dear Councilman. Like you, it seems he's sweet on that Kyoshi slut.”

“Sweet on her?” Hung snorted. “I fucked her, but I wouldn't say I was _sweet_ on her.”

Piandao stilled, as Hung met his eyes, and a knowing smirk crossed his lips.

“What did you say?” Piandao whispered.

“You fucked her, but where is she?” Luzhuo asked.

“She got away. Not that I didn't try to capture her. I'm sure she'll be coming for her old man soon.”

The words were still ringing in Piandao's ear though. His blood rushed through his veins, pounding into his aching skull. The room swirled around him.

“I trusted you...” he growled. “She trusted you...”

Hung's eyes flicked to the side, something crossing his face that Piandao couldn't decipher. It was almost like regret, maybe. Or confusion. But the expression locked down the next moment and he glared at Piandao.

“Then you're both fools. I know what you both are. Traitors to the Fire Nation. You sucked me in, made me believe you were on the side of good. I nearly betrayed my Nation. I won't do it again. I won't forget. Not what you are. Not what she is. A whore.”

“Call her that again.”

“What are you going to do about, old man?” Hung said with a laugh, as he leaned forward, inches from his face. Piandao shook, his muscles tensing. “Did you know she begged me for it?” He leaned in even closer, too close, and said in his ear, “Fuck, Pi... She tasted just like peaches.”

Rage reared up in him, blind and white-hot. He turned his head and opened his mouth, biting down on Hung's left earlobe and pulling with all of his might. Hung screamed, as the skin ripped and blood gushed against Piandao's face.

Hung's hands caught his shoulders, shoving him off of him, but it was too late. Piandao sagged backward, as Hung clapped his hand to his ragged, bleeding ear, a scream still on his lips. He backed up, blood gushing between his fingers.

Piandao spat a chunk of flesh out of his mouth and it landed at Hung's feet with a wet sound. Then he spat the blood out of his mouth.

“MOTHERFUCKER!” Hung panted, and then kicked Piandao in the stomach. He sagged, his knees giving out on him again. He hit the floor, the chains jerking his arms up painfully, the wound in his side excruciating. Blood ran down his face, and it was hot and salty. Hung pulled his knife again and put it to his throat.

“Stop,” Luzhuo said in a sizzling voice, and fire flared to life over his outstretched hands. “That's my prisoner, Smoke Demon. Back off.”

Smoke Demon. The words rang in Piandao's ears. 

“He bit my ear off.”

“Should have been your throat,” Piandao said, pushing into the knife at his throat, not caring about the pain as it bit into his flesh.

“You're just mad I got there first. Did you know she's in love with you, Pi? You broke her fucking heart and she ran right to me. You don't deserve her,” Hung sneered, as Piandao's heart leaped.

He didn't know if Hung was just taunting him or not. But it felt like the truth; the hurt and jealousy in Hung's voice was unmistakable.

“Neither do you.”

“I took what I wanted,” Hung said, withdrawing the knife and backing up. His hand clapped to his bleeding ear again, his face tight with pain. “She's going to come for him, you know.”

Luzhuo was still holding his handful of flames. “Oh, I know. I'm counting on it.”

Hung looked at Luzhuo, and seemed to be thinking about something. He glanced down at the knife in his hands and then sheathed it again. When he turned to Luzhuo, he had an amused smile on his lips.

“I want to be here when she does. We have unfinished business.”

“Can I trust you?” Luzhuo asked, glancing at Piandao smugly.

“I want her. I owe both of them pain. Especially this piece of shit,” Hung said, and then reared back and kicked Piandao in the stomach. The air rushed out of him again, and he sagged forward in the chains, his eyes closing, his thoughts sinking down in a haze of pain and darkness.

Wherever Tamarind was, he hoped she stayed away. Far away.

 _I should have told her I love her too. I should have told her,_ he thought before the darkness took him.


	26. Tam

“I hope Katara's okay,” Tam whispered at Captain Lio's back. He glanced at her over his shoulder, his mouth a grim line.

“She's a Master. If she can't get Suki out, then I doubt any of us can,” Lio said. “It's Fen I'm worried about. He's no fighter.”

“Please, I'd put money on Fen surviving us all,” Tam said, half-smiling. “He may not be a fighter, but he's smart enough not to get caught, no matter what happens.”

“I hope so,” Lio said, his voice tight with worry. He then gestured her forward, edging cautiously down the curiously empty hallways. They'd only encountered a few servants on their way through the palace so far. The servants had put their heads down as they'd walked past them, as if afraid to make eye contact.

She'd wanted to stop them and ask them what was wrong, but she was afraid of the answer.

She knew that was putting Lio on edge as much as it was her. The strange, tense air in the palace hadn't abated at all. A lump formed in her throat as they walked, glancing around corners, and then darting past well-used corridors.

She knew the palace like the back of her hand, but she let Lio guide her. He seemed to know exactly where to go, turning unerringly toward the east wing. They weren't that far from the healing ward. She spared a thought for Nam-Kyu. She hoped the old healer was okay.

 _When this is all over, I'm bringing that woman a basket of flowers and something chocolate and full of booze_ , she thought, as Lio pulled up short, and held out his hand. She stopped, and he put his finger to his lips, waiting.

Tam took a measured breath and peeked out past Lio's shoulder. There were four guards standing guard in the corridor. They were Royal Firebenders by the looks of them. She tried to see if she recognized any of them, but she was only passing familiar with most of the guards.

They were such an ever-present part of daily life in the palace that, like the servants who scurried about as unobtrusively as possible, your eyes tended to skip right past their faces. That was why she'd pretended to be a guard for days and gotten away with it; no one had looked her in the face.

Lio had brought her another guard's uniform, hoping it would help disguise her again. She didn't like wearing it. Even in the humid and damp air in the palace, she found she missed her familiar Kyoshi Warrior uniform. She felt naked going into battle without it. She hadn't worn it since changing in Piandao's office the day they'd arrested Suki and she'd seen Viz plant the evidence in Suki and Zuko's suite.

 _And Hung. Hung did that too,_ she reminded herself, scowling as she peered past Lio's shoulder at the guards. She turned her thoughts off of Hung and glared at the men blocking their way to Piandao. She knew they were several corridors from the place where Lio had heard Luzhuo was keeping Piandao. She studied them with narrowed eyes.

Something about these men bothered her. She couldn't quite say what it was. Perhaps it was because of how empty the palace suddenly seemed, or maybe it was something else, something her instincts were picking up on, but nothing about these guards screamed palace soldier.

“Do you know them?” Tam asked Lio, daring to whisper it close to his ear. If anyone would know each of the soldiers in the palace, it was their captain.

Lio stilled for a moment, squinting down the corridor. She saw his jaw tighten and when he turned back to her, she already knew what his answer would be.

He shook his head slowly. “Those aren't my men.”

“Shit.”

“I think I know why I was demoted,” Lio said through his teeth. “I'm lucky they didn't throw me in a cell.”

“I think you're lucky they didn't kill you,” Tam hissed under her breath, readjusting her grip on her sword, and pulling out the fan she'd tucked into the front of the guard's uniform. “So what do you think? Is it a coup?”

Lio's eyes darkened and he glanced at her. “Not if I can help it.”

“We have to get past them.”

But Lio was breathing a little harder, his mind obviously made up about something. “I don't know what's going on, but I'm not leaving this palace while the Steward attempts a coup. My duty is to the people of the palace, to the crown and council. On my honor, I cannot flee. I need to know what happened to my men.”

“Lio! What are you going to do?” Tam hissed, and he turned on her, grasping her shoulders tightly. His eyes were determined and grim.

“Just get to Piandao. Get him out of here. I'll distract them. Stay on the mission, do you understand?”

She met Lio's gaze for a steady moment, but she knew that look all too well. There would be no arguing with him. She nodded.

“Are you sure about this?” she said, feeling her stomach turning over. Lio nodded.

“Tell Fen I'm sorry. I still owe him that dinner, I'm afraid,” Lio said and then glanced around the corner. He turned back to her, his voice dropping even more. “Wait until we're gone, then take a left at the next corridor and then a right. You'll know the door when you see it. Get to Piandao. Good luck.”

She didn't say anything, fear riding through her, hard and dangerous. She swallowed as Lio took a breath and then stepped around the corner, leaving her to lean against the wall, barely peeking around at the men. The guards noticed Lio right away, as he walked with purpose toward them.

“Halt!” one of the guards said, holding up his hand, a dagger of flame erupting with an orange flare from his fingers. He pointed it at Lio and who pulled up short. “Identify yourself!”

 _Definitely not palace guards then. So where are the real palace guards?_ Tam thought, and then pushed the thought away. She'd focus on the how and why of that as soon as Piandao was safe and they were out of this death trap of a palace.

She hoped Lio knew what he was doing.

“Captain Lio. Who are you? I don't recognize any of you,” Lio said, as the Firebenders stepped forward. Tam suddenly wished that she'd brought a ranged weapon with her. She'd have been able to take out the guards with a well-aimed arrow before they could do so much as blink.

“We're new,” one of the guards sneered. “Brought in to bring law and order to the palace. Seems the old guards weren't doing the job properly.”

“Captain Lio... I heard you were demoted in disgrace,” another one of them said, and she saw Lio's shoulders stiffen. “What are you doing snooping around here?”

“Snooping?” Lio drawled, as the guards advanced on him. Tam gripped her fan, waiting for Lio's signal. “I'm just out for a stroll. The healers said it would be good for me.”

“Got a little ouchie?” a guard said, and they all laughed.

“Out for a stroll, huh? And you just so happen to be strolling near the Steward's private quarters after he demoted you? Un-fucking-likely,” a guard snorted, and then gestured to his friends. “I think Captain Kamen would love to hear this story.”

Tam stilled. She knew that name, but where...?

“Did you say Kamen?” Lio asked, stiffening. She saw his hand stray to the pommel of his sword, ready to draw it at a moment's notice. The guards were all Firebenders. Lio wasn't a Firebender, but she'd seen him in the practice ring more than once and he was no slouch in a fight. There was a reason he'd risen to the Captaincy in such a short amount of time.

But he was outmatched, and she knew that knew it.

He'd told her to wait; she could get in behind the guards and take them out before they realized that he had backup.

But to her surprise, Lio didn't pull his weapon. He lifted his chin and his hand slipped behind his back, palm out. She knew the signal.

He was telling her to wait. Not to interfere.

Tam's fists tightened, fighting her every impulse, as the guards eyed Lio.

“I think Kamen's with the other prisoner. He took that Waterbender to see her.”

“That won't take long,” a guard said, and lifted a handful of flames at Lio. “Let's go for a walk. Put up a fight and we'll show you what real law and order is. We've been given permission to kill anyone who puts up a fight.”

“The Grand Steward gave you permission to kill?” Lio said, as one of them walked forward and reached out, taking the sword from Lio's belt. Tam cursed under her breath and then peeked around the corner again.

A guard grinned. “Some of the old guards put up a fight. You don't want to end up like them.”

Tam's blood ran cold instantly. They grabbed Lio, jerking his hands behind his back. She knew he could break free, but he clearly had no intentions of that. She hoped he knew what he was doing, but she also knew the people of the Fire Nation very well. They were just as stubborn as the people of the Earth Kingdom, but hotheaded and when their honor was at stake, there was no way to change their minds.

Lio had made his choice; she just hoped he didn't come to regret it. She still had to get to Piandao and that was all that mattered to her at the moment. She just hoped Fen didn't kill for her letting him turn himself in.

She suddenly realized she wasn't in the best place to remain unnoticed, but when she peeked back around the corner, she saw them marching Lio in the opposite direction. They turned down another corridor—thankfully in the opposite direction Lio had told her to turn—and leaving the way clear for her to make a break for it.

She didn't have any time to waste. If Katara had been taken to see Suki already that meant she was already attempting to break her out. She had to get Piandao to safety.

She'd deal with the rest of it later. She took off at a run, before anyone could stop her, hoping that her speed and the guard uniform would help if she did run into someone. They might think she was following orders from Luzhuo.

She took a left at the next corridor and then skidded to a halt at the right turn Lio had told her to take. She stopped, and peered around the corner. The corridor dead-ended at a door guarded by what looked like two more Firebenders.

Her jaw set as she studied them, glancing back the way she came, hoping no one would come up behind her. Just two guards.

She could handle more of that, and she knew it. But something about the two of them standing there, put her teeth on edge. It didn't seem like enough.

And she was wasting time, wondering the motives of Luzhuo and his men. Piandao needed her. Who knew what they were doing to him, or why Luzhuo had put him in this out of the way corridor? It didn't sit right with her... If they intended to put him on trial, they should have put him in a cell in the dungeon or sent him to the prison they'd sent Ty Lee.

She couldn't help but think that Luzhuo had taken his opportunity to play with Piandao. The thought made her want to throw up. She could just imagine what sick things Luzhuo might do to him. She wouldn't leave him in the Grand Steward's clutches.

“I'll get you out, or die trying, Pi,” Tam vowed, and then took a breath. She tucked her fan back into her shirt and then marched around the corner with a military clip, her back ramrod straight. She saw the two guards react to her sudden appearance by stiffening and glancing at one another.

“Halt!” they said, as soon as she had closed the distance between them. It wasn't a long corridor, and it was narrow. Not the best place for a fight.

Unless you're me, she thought savagely, already sizing the men up.

Firebenders, both of them. One of them was big and muscled, the other of medium build and slightly faster. He was the talker of the two. The big one was looking at her with narrowed eyes.

“Is there a problem here?” she said, walking up to them, and ignoring the way they clocked her every movement. “I've been ordered to escort the prisoner to Captain Kamen's office for interrogation. They've written a confession for him to sign.”

The guards looked at one another and then back at her. “Who are you?”

“The Grand Sage's personal guard,” she said, eyebrow arching. “He sent me with orders to bring the prisoner right away.”

“Do you have a copy of your orders?” the smaller one asked suspiciously, and she saw a fire-dagger flare to life above his fist. She eyed it and looked up at him.

“Easy, brother. We're all here with the same goal.”

“And what's that?”

“To bring law and order to the palace,” she said, remembering what the guards who had taken Lio had proudly said. The guards looked between them again, and then turned on her.

“Give me a copy of your orders, or you can march that fat ass of yours straight back to the Grand Sage for them.”

“Fat?” Tam exclaimed, forgetting herself. Then she rolled her eyes and blew out a breath. “Fine. I have my orders right here. Just a moment... I swear I have it here somewhere...”

She started fishing around in her pockets, as if searching.

“Hurry up,” the one with the fire-dagger, said impatiently. She glanced up at him and shoved her hand into the front of her shirt, where she'd tucked her fan.

“Oh, of course! How stupid of me! It's right here,” she said, and the guard killed the fire-dagger instantly, holding out his hand for it, palm up. She spotted a bit of bare flesh peeking between his leather vambrace and his gloves.

A weak spot.

Tam grasped her fan and whipped it out with a hard flick, the thin metal expanding with a golden gleam in the torchlight. The guard didn't have time to react; Tam slashed at his wrist with a quick motion, and the metal bit in, sliding through the unguarded bit of his flesh.

She knew she'd hit something vital, because he screamed and a bright red fountain of blood erupted, shooting past her and splattering the wall. She pulled her sword then, and slashing at his throat with a brutal swipe.

More red fountained, and the sound of his pain garbled out into a wet sound. But Tam didn't stop to see what happened; she was already moving, spinning toward the other guard, who seemed frozen for a moment, staring at his bleeding fellow.

His shock wore off far too quickly, and he smacked his hands together, fire exploding between his palms. Then he threw the flames at her before she could duck or moved away.

The fire blasted straight at her face, but she had her fan up, blocking the white-hot blast of red and orange flames. She dug her feet in, flicking her fan out all of the way and forming it into a circular shield. He tried to get his blast under the shield, but she followed it, turning to the side to present a much slimmer target.

He couldn't keep up the fireblast for long, though, and she knew that well. She'd trained with the real Royal Firebenders, learning all of the moves they had, their stamina, the limits of their abilities. All to better protect Zuko.

She had learned her lessons well.

His flames died out, and she immediately threw her fan at him, as much to get the glowing hot metal away from her body as anything. The glowing fan, still formed into the round shield hit him square in the chest, bounced off and then hit the wall and ricocheted across the hallway.

The air was knocked out of him, and he stumbled back. Tam didn't let him recover, spinning into him and grasping him by the back of his neck. Flames erupted out of his hands, but she moved just behind him.

He was fast, but not fast enough to stop her from sinking her blade into his side, just below his ribs.

She angled the blade upward and felt it crunching past bone as it slipped past his ribs and pierced his heart, all of her weight behind the blow. He arched, his head going back, and the flames around his hands dying instantly. Blood dribbled down his chin and he glanced at her, his yellow eyes filled with death and disbelief.

Then he fell, his weight nearly taking her sword with it. She wrenched it out of his side, flipping the blood off of the blade. He stilled and didn't move. The other guard, the one whose throat she had cut, had stopped moving too, but she could see his chest still rising and falling as his blood pumped out of his neck.

Tam stepped forward, standing over him, staring at the dark red blood, and the torchlight dancing off of the dark liquid. His eyes were full of pain and a desperate plea for her mercy. She gave it to him.

Tam brought the point of her sword down into the bleeding man's chest, finishing him for good. He went still immediately, the light dying in his eyes. She pulled the sword out, wiping the blood on his shirt. Then she fished around on the man's belt for a key to the door. She came up wanting, and moved to the other Firebender. She finally found what she was looking for after rolling him over onto his stomach.

A single brass key was dangling from his belt, tarnished and scratched.

She stood and glanced at the two bodies, and all of the blood spreading on the floor. There would be no hiding them, but that didn't matter. She wasn't going to be here long enough to need to hide them. She raced to the locked and barred door, jamming the key into the lock and twisting it. It opened when she put her shoulder into it.

“Pi!”

The room was dark as she raced into the room, charging in with her fan up. The moment she was past the door, it slammed shut with a bang. She heard a moan, and then light flared up in front of her as a shuttered lantern was opened. She flinched back, pulling up short, trying to adjust to the sudden light.

“Take one more step, Freckles, and I'll cut the old man's throat.”

Tam's eyes met Hung's, and then traced from him down to Piandao, chained and on his knees. His face was battered and bruised and they'd shoved an old rag into his mouth, muffling the desperate sounds coming from him as his eyes met hers. Hung had a knife at his throat. Her heart seized in her chest.

“Pi...”


	27. Tam

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter takes place between Chapters 78 and 79 of With Or Without You.

“Come one step closer and I'll cut his throat,” Hung said calmly. Tam looked from him to Piandao and back again, and then sensed movement behind her. She whirled and found herself facing three more of the Firebending guards, who grinned at her and sparked flames above their outstretched hands.

She tightened her hold on her sword, missing the fan that had ricocheted down the hallway. She hadn't gone back to retrieve it.

She expected the guards to attack her, but they didn't. They seemed to be waiting on Hung. When looked back at him, he pressed the blade into Piandao's throat even harder.

“Tell him she's here. Go! Now!” Hung said, and one of the guards went out the door, closing it with a slam, and leaving Tam to face him again.

“Who...?” she started, but Hung glared at her.

“We knew you'd come for him,” Hung said softly, shaking his head, and wrenching at Piandao's unbound hair. “It was only a matter of time.”

“Don't hurt him. Please,” she said, her voice breaking. “Please, Hung.”

“Put down the sword, Freckles,” Hung said. “Or you won't have to worry about your precious Pi getting hurt. You won't like what happens to either of you. I promise you that.”

Piandao made a noise, his eyes pleading with her. She was pretty sure he was begging her not to drop the sword. He wanted her to fight.

She had no intention of giving up without one, but she'd stumbled stupidly into a trap, and she was going to find a way out of it. For both of them.

She glanced at the room around them. It was bare, save a table and comfortable looking chairs. There were no windows. Piandao's was shackled by a single chain with two manacles on either end. The chain was threaded through two rings bolted the ceiling. There was blood on the floor between his knees, and streaking down his bare chest.

He looked like someone had been beating him; his face was bruised and his lip was split. The wound on his chest, the one that Nam-Kyu had stitched up, was bleeding sluggishly and was starting to look infected. The other wound, where he'd been stabbed in the healing ward, was still bandaged, but the bandaged was completely soaked through with blood, and it dripped down his side.

Just looking at him made Tam's whole body ache.

I'll kill him for doing this to you, she thought, her eyes tracing up to Hung. She caught an odd expression on his face, as he watched her. She didn't know what that look was about, but he shut it down the next moment.

“So you ran right back here after I kicked your ass out that window, huh?” Tam said, brow lifting. “I'm surprised, what with all that talking you did about me not understanding. Or was that all just more lies, Hung?”

“I'm not the liar here. You used me, Tam. You led me on, confused me. I forgot what you are. I forgot the mission. I won't forget again,” Hung said, yanking at Piandao's hair again. “Well... There are some things I won't ever forget. Like the way you moaned for me.”

She felt heat rise to her face, but she kept her expression neutral, glancing from Hung to Piandao, who was staring at her with a plea in his eyes. He still wanted her to run, to fight. Their gazes connected for a long moment.

He didn't seem surprised by Hung's words. He obviously already knew she'd slept with Hung; Hung had probably taunted him.

“Tell him, Tam. Tell him you fucked me.”

She stared at Piandao, tears burning in her eyes. The raw feeling she'd had since she'd seen that tattoo on Hung's stomach surged in her like bile. “I'm sorry, Pi.”

Piandao nodded his head imperceptibly, his eyes closing briefly. She wasn't sure what that meant, but she hoped it meant that he forgave her. Though why she wanted his forgiveness, after he had made it clear that he didn't want her, she didn't know.

“You hear that, Pi? She's nothing but a slut. She used me, and she'll use you. That's what she does. She and the rest of her painted up whore sisters. She's disgusting, isn't she?” Hung said, almost to himself. As if he were trying to convince himself of his own words. She heard that doubt in his voice, edged with pain.

“I've slept with worse men than you, Hung. Don't start thinking you're special boy,” she said blandly. “You're the only one I've been ashamed of sleeping though.”

“I thought I actually had feelings for you,” Hung said.

Tam stared at Piandao, ignoring Hung. Piandao's brows gathered in the middle, his bruised face soft with emotion she couldn't name. It was something like regret. But there was longing there too. She swallowed, her throat suddenly tight. He pushed forward, toward her, the chains dragging his hands back. The blade in Hung's hands bit into his throat as he did, and she took half a step closer.

“I had feelings for you too, Hung,” she said, tearing her eyes away from the blood showing in a line on Pi's throat. Hung stilled, looking up at her. “You know I did.”

Something flickered in Hung's hazel eyes, and then he locked down his expression, yanking Piandao's head back. “Don't patronize me. You're in love with this fucker and we both know it. Don't bother denying it. Everything about you is a lie.”

“Says the Smoke Demon,” Tam said. “What do you want? Clearly, you're in on this coup. You're working for Luzhuo, aren't you?”

“He's coming,” Hung said. “He knew you'd try to get the old man. I told him all about the two of you.”

“What did he do to the other palace guards? What did he do to the Caldera guards?”

Hung's lips curled up at the corners. “Trust me. You don't want to know. When Zuko comes home he's not going to recognize this place.”

“You don't have to do this, Hung,” she said. “I know you're not all bad. You wanted me to listen. You wanted to explain. I know you never wanted to hurt me.”

“I told you I was confused. I know better now,” he said through his teeth. “You can't talk your way out of this, Tam! You're going to put down that sword and get on your knees. You're going to arrested and tried just like Suki and Ty Lee.”

“You planted the evidence on Suki, you bastard!” Tam snarled, glancing at the two guards behind her. She could feel the heat from their flames at her back. She didn't like keeping them behind her, but she also didn't want to take her eyes off of Hung. “You know I'm innocent! All of us are!”

“Innocent? You've helped turn the Fire Nation into a joke of itself, _Tamarind!_ Zuko has turned us from the greatest power on this planet to... To nothing! We deserve to rule the rest of the Nations. It's our divine right!” Hung said, shaking his head. “We spent a hundred years proving it, and Zuko came in and changed all of that. He made us weak. And then he tried to marry that Earth Kingdom peasant? It's disgusting! We won't let that stand!”

“So it's all Luzhuo's doing?”

Hung laughed. “Stop fishing for information, Freckles. You're not getting out of this room unless its in chains. Just like your boyfriend,” he said, bending toward Piandao's ear. “Oh wait, not your boyfriend. Because he rejected you. Didn't you, Pi?”

“Leave him alone!” Tam exclaimed. “It's not him you're mad at, Hung.”

“Yes, it is!” Hung hissed, breathing hard. “I hate his guts! I should have let Viz kill him! Maybe then you would have seen him for what he really was! But no! You're in love with him and he doesn't deserve you! He's nothing but a traitor to the Fire Nation, Tam. You threw yourself at him but he couldn't unclench long enough to see what was right in front of him! You rejected her because you know she should be mine instead.”

“Is that what you want, Hung? Me?” she said. “Then take me and let him go. Please.”

“You don't want me,” Hung said, and his voice broke a little.

“You know I had feelings for you. You don't have to do this, Hung,” she said gently. “I know there's a good person somewhere in there. There has to be. You can do the right thing. Please... Please, do the right thing.”

“You'd tell me exactly what you think I want to hear, just to save him.”

“Hung...”

“Enough of this,” one of the Firebenders at her back said, as Hung lowered the knife at Piandao's throat. Not far, but just enough to let her know that he had been listening. That she had gotten through to him, on some level. “Put down the sword, Kyoshi Warrior.”

Tam glanced back at them, and then back at Hung.

“Put down the sword, Tam,” he said stonily. “You're both going to a cell. And you are never going to see him again. I promise you that. Put it down and don't fight, or I _will_ do it.”

Tam met Piandao's gray eyes and felt pain in her stomach, twisting up to her heart.

“Pi...”

Piandao shook his head again, pleading with her not to do it, not to give up. She also had no quit in her, and she knew by the look in Piandao's eyes that he would never forgive her if she gave up so easily.

She wasn't going to let Hung hurt him. She'd rather die.

“Fine,” she said, eyes narrowing on the chains holding Piandao. “I'll let go of the sword.”

She saw Hung's eyes widen a half-second before she threw the sword at the chains. It sailed across the short space between them, hitting the chains with a resounding clink, throwing up sparks. She heard a yell behind her, and ducked at the same time, rolling and kicking at the table.

She felt fire whooshing past her, barely missing her, and then colliding with the table that fell over, blocking her from the Firebenders. It was a meager shelter, one that wouldn't last long.

She spared a glance at Piandao, and saw that her aim had been true, and so had Lio's sword; the blade had been sharp and strong, and it had cut through the chains like butter.

Piandao's right arm had sagged, the chain dropping. He wrenched himself backward immediately, away from Hung's blade. He rolled, dragging the other end of the chain out of the loops on the ceiling with a hard metallic clink.

He went for her lost sword, as Hung snarled in rage and went for him.

Fire blasted the table, banging it into her shoulder painfully. Another blast rocked it, as she twisted, putting her feet against it. She saw the Firebenders coming toward her, meeting their eyes for half a second. Flames bloomed again, over their hands.

“Get her!”

Tam kicked at the table with all of her strength, slamming it into their knees. One of them went down. The other tossed flames at her. She rolled again, wincing as the fireball exploded on the floor beside her, scorching the wood. She was on her feet again, faster than thought.

“TAMARIND!”

Tam spun and thrust out her hand, catching the sword she'd thrown at Piandao's chains. Piandao had retrieved it while she hadn't been looking. She didn't wait to see what he was doing, turning and cutting at the air, just as another fireball blasted at her.

She half-turned to the side, twisting a little to avoid the worst of it. Her boiled leather and metal uniform did the rest of the work for her, and for once she was grateful to be wearing a guard's uniform. And a helmet. It kept her hair from getting burnt to a crisp.

She didn't wait for the blast to stop, spinning again and leaping over the table. The Firebender tried to change the direction of his blast, but her sword came down with a whistling sound. She took half of his arm off, and blood fountained in a gushing wave. His scream didn't last long.

She took his head with the next blow and turned, already moving toward the other Firebender, who had gained his feet and was backing toward the door. Either to run or to get some distance between them. She wasn't sure and didn't care.

She could hear Hung and Piandao fighting behind her, but didn't dare look.

“You've got nowhere to go,” the Firebender said to her, as blood dripping down the blade.

“You talking to me, or yourself?” she shot at him, stepping over the dead body bleeding onto the floor.

“I'm going to light you up, bitch,” he said as he dropped into a form, two fingers raised. She realized what he was doing and her eyes widened as sparks started on his fingertips, dancing through the air with white-hot energy that tasted of metal and ozone.

She knew what he was about to do, knew it too well.

She'd seen Zuko redirect lightning before, but she was no Bender. She had no way to stop him.

She tensed, ready to roll to the side to avoid the blast, but the Firebender stiffened all of a sudden, his hands dropping, a look of shock on his face. Tam realized why a moment before he hit his knees.

Hung's blade was buried in the man's chest. Blood dribbled down his chin as he clutched at it, the lightning dying with a flicker. Then he slumped forward onto the floor and lay still.

“Pi!?” she said, whipping around to the fight in the corner.

She had expected that Pi had gotten the upper hand, that he had thrown the blade. She was surprised to see Hung with his hand still out, bleeding from a wound on his face, blood on his open mouth.

“Hung?”

He looked just as shocked as she felt, turning on her with wide eyes.

“Why did you...?” she started to ask, as the door was blasted off of its hinges, and Luzhuo and the guard Hung had sent to fetch him came back into the room. Luzhuo pulled up short, staring at the headless corpse on the floor, and the man who had keeled over.

His brow rose and then he looked up, sneering at her, and then Piandao, who was panting, barely standing and clutching the chains still shackled to his wrists. He had pulled the gag out of his mouth at some point, and it danged around his sweat-covered neck. Luzhuo's gaze finally settled on Hung.

“What a lovely mess you've made, children,” the Grand Steward said, and there was glee in his eyes, as if he liked the carnage at his feet. Chills ran up Tam's spine. “But I'm through with these games. I see I was right about you, Tamarind. Dear Piandao was so afraid you'd come for him...”

“Of course, I did,” Tam said, gripping her sword and eyeing the other Firebender, who seemed to be waiting for his orders from Luzhuo. “I won't let you hurt him again. Not after what you did to him.”

“He's lucky I didn't kill him for what he did. Did he ever tell you about that, Tamarind?”

“I don't care about that,” she said. “If you don't move out of the way and let us leave, I'll kill you where you stand.”

“Treasonous little bitch,” Luzhuo spat at her, and she saw flames spark over his hands. “I don't know what Piandao sees in you.”

But his eyes wandered down her body, lingering on her face. Tam didn't like that look on his face. It made her feel naked and exposed. Goosebumps rose over her skin in a creeping wave.

“Well, perhaps I do understand the appeal... Just a little... Hung tells me he had a taste. Perhaps it will be my turn next?”

“Touch her and I'll fucking kill you,” Piandao growled, stumbling past Hung, who let him go. He still looked stunned, as if he were still processing the fact that he'd killed one of his own men. For her.

Tam paid him no mind; she only had eyes for Piandao, who looked like he was seconds from passing out. This close she could see more bruises on his skin where they had beaten him, and fresh lashes on his back that she hadn't noticed earlier. Someone had had fun with him, alright.

She hoped it had been Luzhuo and not Hung. If it had been Hung...

“So protective,” Luzhuo said, holding out his hand and stopping his Firebender from moving as Piandao tried to put himself between her and the Grand Steward. She caught him, shoving him back. “He loves you so much... It makes me sick.”

Tam glanced at Piandao, feeling a hard tingle go through her. Loved her? Piandao's gaze hit hers, stormy and gray. She opened her mouth, but no words came.

“Tamarind...” Piandao said, and his hand reached up, brushing against her chin. “I'm sorry.”

She could see that regret and longing in him again, that buried emotion that she'd glimpsed so many times. It had confused her, made her think that he felt the same way she did, but he had always pulled away. Her heart ached, seeing that look on his face now, with Luzhuo's words ringing in her ears.

“I'm getting us out of here, Pi.”

“Oh, I don't think you are,” Luzhuo said, his voice an amused drawl. “You are going to the darkest cell I can find, pretty girl. I'll tell everyone you're dead. No one will go looking for you. No one except Piandao. And you. Piandao, you are going to do exactly as I say. Or I will kill her. You know that I will.”

Tam immediately dropped into a protective stance, pushing Piandao behind her. But Piandao didn't let her, shoving past her hands, and standing firm and straight before the Grand Steward.

“You can beat me, threaten me... Do what you want to me. I don't care,” Piandao panted, blood dripping from the torn stitches in his side. “But I would rather die than let you hurt her. I'd rather die than follow your orders.”

Luzhuo cocked his head to the side. “I believe you mean that. Odd, to find such stubborn principles in a man who betrayed his Nation so thoroughly. You left your men to die, Piandao. Do you want to leave her to die as well? All because you won't see sense?”

“I didn't just leave my men to die, Luzhuo. I orchestrated their slaughter,” Piandao said in a hard voice. “And I have never regretted it.”

“What do you mean? You ran from the battle, you left them to die!”

“So everyone thought,” Piandao said, leaning on Tam's shoulder. “So you thought. It was no act of cowardice, Luzhuo. It was calculated. They had to die.”

“You bastard... What did you do?”

“I had them put down like the madmen they were. They were mutinous, mad with power... They stopped taking orders. They were looting and pillaging at will. They tore through the villages of that valley. They killed everything they came across. Men. Women. Children. They burned everything to the ground. They had to be stopped.”

“We were at war! They were our enemy! You turned on your own!”

“War is fought amongst soldiers. Fought with honor, and skill. There was no honor in what they did, the depraved things they did to innocents. Once I realized what they were, and that I could no longer control them... I rode to the nearest Earth Army outpost and I did what was necessary. They were no more than beasts, Luzhuo. You remind me of them.”

Luzhuo's lips curled back over his teeth. “You haven't seen the depths of my depravity yet, Piandao. But you will. And I'll start with that whore you're so fond of. Take him,” he said to the Firebender, who stepped closer, igniting flames around his hands again.

Tam lifted the sword. “Stay back.”

“Hung, take her. Kill her if you have to.”

“No,” Hung said, shocking her. She spun on him and saw him standing there, his face pale. “I can't do it.”

“What?”

“I can't... I can't let you hurt her...” Hung said.

“TRAITOR!” Luzhuo hissed. “She's nothing but a whore!”

“Real tired of that word,” Tam said through her teeth, and lunged forward, taking the Firebender by surprise. The sword stabbed through his chest, and he fell back with it, wrenching it out of her hands.

Weaponless, she looked from the fallen Firebender, to the Grand Steward, who was conjuring flames of his own. She knew that he was a powerful Firebender; she did not want to get in the way of his unbalanced rage. The man would go for the kill.

“You little bitch,” Luzhuo snarled. Her hand was missing her fan now more than ever. She had nothing to shield herself with now. Nothing at all.

“Tamarind!” Piandao said, grasping her and rolling them out of the way as flames blasted the spot where they'd been. They landed in a tumble, and Piandao kicked at one of the chairs, sending it flying at the Grand Steward. The first one hit him, and the Sage landed against the wall, leaving the doorway unguarded. Tam picked up the other chair and tossed it at him.

He kicked his feet out, flames flying from the bottom of his foot and blasting the chair to bits. Debris rained down on them, as Tam came up on her feet. She had her eye on the sword still buried in the Firebender's chest.

If she could just get to it...

She didn't make it; flames nearly hit her, a fireball exploding on the wall beside her. She skidded in blood and turned, prepared to defend herself against another blast.

Luzhuo scooped flames out of thin air, the movement fast and practiced. Tam's heart leaped, but she already knew she was going to be too late to stop it. She could see her death—painful, burning—in Luzhuo's enraged yellow eyes. She felt frozen on the spot, watching the flames coming for her in slow motion.

“NO!”

It was Hung. He got in between her and Luzhuo's blast of flame, taking it right in the back, his arms outspread to block her from the flames. Tam gasped as Hung's face filled with pain, the flames spreading over his back. He staggered, meeting her eyes.

“Run, Freckles,” he said in a soft voice, his lips curling a little, the teasing sense of humor she had been so taken with shining through again. She felt her heart squeeze, with pain and fear.

“Hung...”

But Hung, his shirt on fire, whipped around, facing Luzhuo.

“What are you doing, boy? GET OUT OF MY WAY!”

“I can't let you hurt her.”

“She's the enemy!” Luzhuo said, as Tam grabbed Piandao and all but yanked him toward the door, her feet slipping on the blood of the guards she had killed earlier. Hung spun, getting between them and the Grand Sage, blocking the doorway. “I thought you wanted her dead!”

“I thought I did too,” Hung said, pain in his voice as the flames on the back of his shirt spread. Tam hesitated; she wanted to go back and help him, but she knew this was her only chance to get her and Piandao away. “But I have kind of a soft spot for her. I can't let you hurt her... If you want her, you'll have to get through me to get to her.”

“Gladly,” Luzhuo said and blasted another fireball at Hung.

“HUNG!”

Hung hit his knees, still blocking the doorway.

“Run, Freckles!” he said in a painful voice, the fire on his shirt burning holes to his vulnerable skin. Smoke rose, and the smell of burning flesh filled the air.

She wanted to go back for him. He had saved her. Twice.

Piandao staggered, and she caught him. This was their only chance and she knew it. She dragged him down the corridor, past the guards she'd killed earlier. She heard Hung scream behind her.

She didn't look back.


	28. Piandao

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This takes place between chapters 78 and 79 of With Or Without You.

Pain shot through Piandao's midsection, zipping like lightning across his stomach and then up to his back and chest. His knee gave, as Tam half-dragged him down the hallway, her hands sliding on his blood and sweat-slickened skin.

“Faster,” Tam said, her voice tight with emotion. He glanced at her, the manacles still dangling from his wrists dragging along the marble floor with a loud clink. She looked scared, beneath her Guard's helmet, her eyes wide, and sweat rolling down her face. “Come on, Pi.”

“Hung...” he panted, blinking stinging sweat out of his eyes. “He saved you. We can't leave him.”

He saw the pain in her face, the regret, as she paled and her lips thinned.

“We can't go back for him, Pi. Luzhuo will be right on our asses,” Tam said and dragged him down another corridor. She had grabbed her fan from the hallway as they'd run, and she had it out now, holding it up like a shield with her free hand. There were scorch marks on the thin golden metal.

“You shouldn't have come back for me,” Piandao said, his knee buckling a little. He clutched at his side, as more pain shot through him, doubling him over. He moaned, trying to stop the sound, afraid that he would worry her.

Tam caught him, skidding to a halt in the corridor. Her hand spread on his chest, pushing him back upright.

“You knew I was going to,” she said gently. “I should never have left you in the first place. I should have come back to the healing ward. I... I shouldn't have run off with Hung.”

The regret and guilt in her voice, peppered with a dose of shame, made his chest ache. He caught her hand on his chest, squeezing her fingers with his own.

“You did what you had to do. I told you to run. I meant it. I never meant for you to come back for me.”

Tam pushing her shoulder up beneath his, hoisting him up a little and causing pains to shoot through his stomach and up to his ribs. He was pretty sure Hung had broken something, or maybe one of Luzhuo's other guards. He had blacked out a few times and didn't remember who had done what. Everything for the past day was pain and terror. And worry.

Luzhuo had taunted him about Tamarind the entire time, telling him he was sure she would come. And telling him what he would do to her. He hadn't heard any lies in the man's voice. He had meant what he'd said, and he would do what he had threatened.

But not if Piandao complied with his orders. If he did that, then Tamarind, his Tamarind, would be safe.

“All I want is for you to be safe,” he said, as they stumbled down another corridor, the chains clanking on the ground. He grabbed them with his free hand, pulling them up off of the ground; the manacles were still locked tightly against his wrists, cutting off the blood flow. His hands were next to useless; swollen and stiff and starting to tingle. They had kept him chained on his knees for far too long.

“I will be safe. And so will you. We had a plan. Katara is here. She's getting Suki out. We're going to meet Fen in the Caldera, and we're all getting out of this death trap before Luzhuo's coup really starts rolling and we get trapped here.”

But they both knew it was too late for that. Luzhuo had bragged about bringing in new forces, Firebenders all of them, to replace the palace guards.

“Luzhuo isn't working alone,” Piandao gasped. “I don't think he's the mastermind of this plan.”

“I don't either,” Tam said. “But I'm not sticking around to find out who did it. Lio was with me. He might find out if they haven't killed him already. He let himself get captured. I don't know where they took him.”

“Lio is a smart man and bound by his honor to protect the palace. He's a good soldier. I wouldn't count him out without a fight,” Piandao said grimly, and then moaned again, clutching at his side. Blood was flowing freely down his side from the wound he'd taken in the healing ward. The stitches had popped, and the bandage was soaked with blood. “Me, on the other hand...”

“Don't say that,” Tam said, tightening her hold on him. “I'm getting you out of here. Katara can heal you herself.”

“I'm only slowing you down...” Piandao said. “Tam, you need to leave me.”

“NO!” Tam said and then started, as running footsteps broke through the unnatural hush of the palace corridors. Three guards appeared around a corner, and at seeing them, they skidded to a halt. “Shit...”

The guards eyed them for a moment, seeing Tam's guard's uniform. Then their eyes tracked to Piandao, bleeding and leaning on her, with manacles and chains dangling from his wrists.

Fire bloomed over two outstretched hands. The third pulled a sword from his belt. Tam's eyes narrowed on the sword immediately, and she drew herself up.

“Going to try a prison break?” one of the guards asked her.

“That's the Kyoshi Warrior. They said she'd come for the old man.”

Tam slipped his arm off of her shoulder, and then gently eased him back against the wall. She put her hand on his chest and looked up into his eyes. “Stay here, Pi. I've got this.”

“Tamarind—”

But she turned back to the guards, holding her fan-shield up and then throwing out her other arm.

“You got me. I'm the world's sexiest fugitive. Come get me, boys!”

But she didn't give them a chance to do much of anything, running flat out at them. The charge took them all three by surprise, and two volleys of fireballs missed her entirely, sailing down the corridor, past Piandao, and smashing on the walls.

Another volley came sailing at her, and she did a backflip, jumping over it and losing her helmet as she did. Her hair flew free, long and wild, and when she landed she threw her fan out. It bounced against the wall, and ricocheted, smacking the swordsman right in the wrist; his sword spun out of his hand and clattered on the floor a few feet away.

She rolled, catching her shield, and coming up on her feet at a dead run, her hair flying. Piandao surged off of the wall, gathering what little strength he had and grabbing a burning torch off of the wall. Pulling it out of the sconce was agony, and his vision grayed out, but he held on.

Tamarind needed him. She had come for him. And he would not let her fight their enemies alone.

When he turned, Tam was holding off the two Firebenders with her shield, rolling out of the way, back and forth, coming closer and closer. She made them move the line, readjusting.

He knew she was going for the sword, which had landed closer to her than the guards.

“STOP!”

Piandao whipped around, facing the direction they'd come. Two more guards came charging in from that direction, pulling a sword and qiang. Piandao stepped between Tam and the new guards.

“BY ORDER OF THE STEWARD WE COMMAND YOU TO DROP YOUR WEAPONS! STAND DOWN!”

Piandao, his back to Tam, heard her snort with amusement nevertheless. He pulled a grim smile.

“I don't think we're the stand down type,” he said, and twirled the torch in his swollen hands, trying to get the feeling back in them. He heard the guards behind her cry out in the pain, and fire exploded on the wall beside him as a shot went wild.

The two armed guards came at him, and he knew they were going for the kill. He could see it in their eyes, the cold and deadly chill of a trained and experienced killer of men.

Whoever these new guards were, they were good, trained, and experienced. Luzhuo and his mysterious partner hadn't taken chances with this coup. They meant to take over the palace. They very nearly had.

If Katara got Suki out, that meant there would be no one left in the palace, other than Lio, who might already be dead, no matter what he'd told Tamarind. No one other than the two of them.

The Fire Nation palace had fallen, and he was pretty sure the rest of the world didn't even know it yet. That put fire in his belly, anger surging through him.

He wouldn't let the bastards win.

The guards weren't Firebenders, but they knew how to use their chosen weapons. The qiang thrust at his side and slammed the torch down, blocking the blow and deflecting it. His next swing moved in beneath the swordsman's arm, and he jabbed his fist into the man's ribs, slamming home and spinning past them.

The torch was still burning, and when he shoved it into the swordsman's face, the man screamed and reeled back. He dropped the sword on instinct, clutching at his burning face. Piandao dropped the torch and rolled, catching the sword.

When he came up on his feet, swaying and woozy with blood loss, he spared one glance back at Tam. There was blood on the floor, but she was still fighting. He knew it wasn't hers, and that was all that mattered.

She had also managed to grab the sword. And she was making their enemies regret it, her hair like a black battle banner, catching the eye, as flames and blood filled the corridor.

Piandao moved in, faster than thought, and thrust at the spearman, who blocked the blow that would have taken him right in the chest. Piandao was slower than usual, but he was still faster, years of experience honing his muscle memory.

He gripped the sword one-handed and slid in beneath a high thrust of the qiang, turning and whipping the chains on his right wrist out, slamming them into the swordsman's burned face. Blood and teeth flew free, and he sank his bare foot into the man's stomach, shoving him against the wall.

The spearman tried to get at his back while he did it, but he spun again, and his sword came down in an arch, slicing cleanly through the qiang's wooden handle. It snapped with a splintering sound, and the blade hit the floor. Piandao put his foot on it and slid it down the hallway, away from the fight.

The spearman growled in anger, and jabbed at him with the jagged wooden end; Piandao was nearly too slow; it glanced off of his shoulder, scraping at his skin with a painful bite.

He heard Tam cry out, and then a hard grunt behind him. He didn't dare turn to look. Instead, he stared into the spearman's eyes.

And then he smiled.

The expression took the man off guard, eyes widening. He didn't see the chain whipping at his face. The blow took him in the temple, and he crashed to the floor, his face bleeding. Piandao kicked the qiang handle out of his hands and lifted the sword, ignoring the pain in his side as he did. He brought he sword down, straight into the man's chest.

He cried out, the sound garbled, and then the light died in his eyes. Piandao put his foot on his chest and started to pull the sword out, but a body slammed into him, and he was born to the ground with a painful slam, the sword falling from his swollen grip. He grunted as he felt the swordsman's hands catch his neck, blood dripping onto his face.

“DIE, YOU FUCKING BASTARD!” the guard spat, blood and spit on his lips.

Piandao grabbed the chains dangling from his manacles and wrapped them around the man's throat. He let go of his neck, trying to grab at the chain, but Piandao yanked it tight, and then got his leg up, shoving the man in the chest, pushing him back as the chain tightened even more.

His face went red, and then purple, his bulging. Then he stopped fighting, and slumped against Piandao's leg, his hands falling at his sides. Piandao shoved him off of him and climbed to his feet, aching everywhere.

But still alive.

He unwrapped the chain from the guard's neck and then took up the sword again. He made sure of him, and wrenched the blade out of the man's back, turning back toward the fight. Just in time to see Tamarind deliver a roundhouse kick to the last Firebender's face. The blow turned his head and he crashed, unconscious on the floor.

The other two guards she had been fighting were dead; one of them was on fire. The other had had his head split open and judging by the gore painting Tam's stolen blade, she had been the one to deliver the blow.

She threw her head up, flinging her unbound hair out of her eyes and meeting his gaze. She was breathing hard, blood speckled across her freckled face. Something in him broke, and he felt his throat close, desire racing through him instantly.

“Pi...”

“Tamarind...” he breathed and stumbled toward her. She did the same, crossing the distance between them.

“Are you okay?” she asked, as he caught her around the waist, his eyes still on hers, burning and delirious. “Pi...?”

He kissed her, stilling the worry on her lips with his own. She stiffened in surprise; apparently, she hadn't expected it, but her surprise only lasted a fraction of a second. Then she was kissing him back, as hard as he kissed her.

It was madness. It was sheer madness, folly...

He didn't care. For once in his life, he didn't care.

He wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her close, against his chest, bending over her and sliding his hard kiss to her mouth. Tingles rushed through him, banishing the pain and the fear, the guilt...

None of it mattered.

Because he loved her.

He loved Tamarind. She was too young and he was too old, and it didn't matter because he loved her.

She pulled away, however, still panting from the fight.

“Pi...”

“I'm sorry,” he said, his common sense returning in a rush the moment their lips parted. “I just did not want to regret never doing that again.”

“Pi... I...” she started and then blinked. “We have to go. We have to get out of the palace.”

“I know,” he said, dropping his arm from her waist. “Come on.”

But she stopped him, her hand on his forehead. “Pi, you're burning up.”

“My wound is infected,” he said.

“Why didn't you tell me?”

“It doesn't matter. We need to go. Right now,” he said as she closed her fan and tucked it into her belt. Then she put her arm around him again, and together they stumbled down the corridor, past the bodies, and down a flight of stairs. The fight had taken a lot out of him, more than he'd realized. Every step was agony, the pain rising up his side like flashes of heat lightning, igniting with every breath he took.

When he stumbled and went to one knee, he glanced up at her. “You need to leave me. I'm too slow.”

“I just saw you fight two guards armed with a torch. You can walk your sexy ass out of this palace,” she said, grunting as helped him up again. “Besides, I'm not leaving you now. Not after you kissed me like that.”

“I should have kissed you like that the moment I first saw you,” he said. 

“Now I know you're feverish.”

“It's true. I loved you the minute I first saw you, Tamarind. I didn't even know your name. But I knew you. I felt... I felt like I had spent my whole life waiting for you...”

“Trust you to spill your heart out during a prison break,” she said through her teeth, but she didn't sound angry. She sounded exasperated and hopeful.

“Tamarind, I...” he started, and then stiffened, as shouts rang through the corridor. “More guards. What was your escape plan?”

“We can get out of the palace from a postern gate near the stables. Lio had a key... I forget to get it. It doesn't matter. I... I have a lockpick in my belt. We can still get out that way. Come on...” she said, and she turned them back in the direction they'd just come.

“We're not going to make it, Tamarind,” he said.

“You're so full of sunshine, Pi,” she said with strain in her voice.

“HALT!” The shout came from behind them, as the guards they'd heard coming spotted them.

“Dammit!” Tam cursed, and then jerked him to the side. She lifted her foot and kicked at the door nearest door. It opened under the blow and she practically shoved him inside. She slammed the door behind her, throwing the lock, and then looking around at the small room.

It was lined with shelves, filled with old scrolls. There was a couch in the center of the room, and a desk in the corner. The room didn't look like it saw much use, but that wasn't so unusual in the palace. There were many rooms like it dotting the complex.

“The chair...” Piandao said, grabbing the chair from the desk and dragging it toward the door. Tam shoved it up beneath the doorknob and then backed off.

“That won't hold,” she said, and then turned, looking around wildly. Sweat made her hair cling to her face. “A window... There's got to be a window...”

But the room was completely covered in shelves, full of the dusty and delicate looking scrolls.

“There's a door over here,” Piandao said, pointing to it. Tam charged toward the door, opening and going inside, just as something hard pounded on the door. He heard shouting on the other side, as the guards reached them. His adrenaline spiked, as he clutched at his side.

“We have company, Tamarind...”

“Pi...”

He turned and saw Tam standing in the doorway. He was shocked to see tears streaming down her face.

“Tamarind?”

“There's no windows. It's just a bathing room. There's nothing. I... We're trapped. I... FUCK!” she said, lifting her hand and tearing at her hair. “I fucked up again.”

“It's not your fault,” Piandao said, as the banging on the door grew stronger. “We can fight our way out of this again.”

But Tam's green eyes welled up even more. “I'm always fucking up. That's all I ever do, Pi. I see what the right thing to do is and I just... I just fuck up!”

He tucked his sword into his belt, and limped over to her, ignoring the pain in his side and how dizzy he felt. He reached up, cupping her face, his hands sliding into her hair.

“This isn't your fault.”

“But Hung was,” she said, her chin quivering. Her voice was very small, full of shame and regret. “I slept with him.”

Piandao leaned forward, landing a gentle kiss to her forehead, pulling her into him. She didn't seem to mind the blood and sweat, her hand on his waist. She still had the sword in her other hand, clutching it tightly.

“I know,” Piandao whispered, as the banging on the door continued, the chair rocking in place with each heavy blow.

“I don't know why I did that. I don't know why I always do that. I just think with my hormones and it always ends up badly,” she said, misery dripping from her voice. She pulled back to look at him. “Tell me you're disgusted.”

“I'm not,” he said, cupping her face, wiping at the tears and blood on her freckled cheek. “You slept with him because you liked him. He was funny and kind and handsome.”

“He was a Smoke Demon.”

“You didn't know that. Neither of us did. I trusted him too.”

“But I knew how I felt about you, and I still did it. I've done that before. I always ruin it. I don't know why. I don't want to do that again. I don't want anyone but you, but... Pi, I don't know what you want. You kissed me and then you didn't want me and... And then you kissed me again and...”

“I love you.”

The words came out of him without thought, with hesitation. They were the truth, the only truth he had left to tell in the world. Tam stilled, staring at him with some emotion on her face he couldn't name. It was something like hope, disbelief, want...

“Pi...”

“I love you, Tamarind. I've been a fool. I know that. I pushed you away. I tried to rationalize why I couldn't be with you, couldn't want you. I told myself it was just desire, mad and powerful, but nothing more. I tried to tell myself that you were too young for me. I was too old. And perhaps that is true, but I know that I love you all the same. My whole life, I have never loved anyone or anything more than I love you. I'm sorry.”

She let out a breath, staring at him with her lips open. “Sorry?”

“For the way I've treated you. I was afraid.”

“Afraid of what?”

“That you didn't feel the same way. That you couldn't. I didn't want you to figure out that I wasn't worth loving.”

The door banged hard and he heard wood splintering.

“Yes you are! You so are, Pi! And I do! I do feel it! Hung even knew it... He... That's why he was so angry. He knew!” Tam said, her voice shaking. She jumped with every bang on the door. “I love you, Piandao. But how can you look at me after what I did...”

But Piandao kissed her, swift and hard. He pulled away as the door banging again and the chair landed on the floor with a final slam. “I don't care that you slept with him. You never owe me anything, not an apology, not an explanation. I'm just sorry you're hurting. That he betrayed you."

"He saved me."

"Maybe he's not beyond redemption then."

"I don't feel the same way about him. I don't even think he loves me... He just wanted me. I don't want him to die though."

"That's why I love you. I don't want you to hurt, Tamarind. You came back for me... And now... I don't know if I can save you.”

She glanced at the door and then back at him.

“They're going to get in here," she said, and her voice broke.

“I know.”

“I'm not going out without a fight and neither are you,” she said, swiping at the tears on her face. “I won't let Luzhuo get a hold of you again. I love you too much, Pi.”

She started to pull away, but he caught her, spinning her back into him. He lifted her chin and slammed his mouth to hers, kissing her just as hard as before, his hands in her long hair, just as he'd always wanted to do...ached...

And if this was the last time... The very last time...

He wouldn't waste a single moment. He would savor it. Savor her, for as long as he had her.

Tam moaned into his kiss, one arm around his neck. He forgot about the pain, the fever ravaging him. Forgot everything.

She was all that mattered, or ever would matter. And for a moment, just a moment, she was his.

That was his last thought, before the door was blasted off of its hinges in a hail of splinters and fire, and the soldiers came for them.


	29. Tam

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This takes place between Chapters 78 and 79 of With Or Without You.

Tam broke away from Piandao's drugging kiss, gasping as the door exploded in. Piandao grabbed her, tucking himself around her and half-turning her away from the splintery debris that rained down on them. She felt the wooden bits stick into her skin but ignored the pricks of pain.

Her adrenaline soared again, and she glanced up at Piandao.

His gray eyes were bright, with fever and desire and fear. But there was determination there too. She felt it echo through her, every emotion he felt, in that split second their eyes met.

Then they were both moving, drawing their swords as guards poured into the room.

Tam had her fan out, flicking it into shield just in time to block a blast of fire that came her way, charring the already scorched golden metal even further. Piandao was as half-step behind her and he ducked behind her shoulder, shielding himself.

“I go right, you go left,” he said, and she nodded, as the Firebender's blast guttered out. The moment it did, she threw the hot shield again, straight at his head.

The Firebender wasn't expecting it, and it buried itself in his chest, sticking there with a sick bang as it sliced through his armor and crushed his sternum. The force of the blow knocked him back, and he hit two of the guards coming in behind him.

Piandao went right, and she went left, jumping over the couch and landing on the dying Firebender's stomach. She brought her sword down, stabbing at the nearest guard. She heard a scream, as her blade found something soft and vulnerable.

More guards poured in through the door, jumping over their fallen fellows. They were more Firebenders; flames danced above their hands, dazzling her burning eyes.

“PI!”

But Piandao was faster than he looked, ducking a fireball meant to blast him into next week, and rolling to his feet beneath the Firebender's aim. He hacked at a leg, severing it with a spray of blood and a scream of disbelief. Then he lashed out, whipping at the man's face with the dangling chains still shackled to his wrists.

More fire filled the room. Tam jumped off of the dead man's stomach, back-flipping to avoid the volley of flames coming her way. She wasn't fast enough.

Fire caught on the sleeve of her uniform and she had to bat at it to put it out, losing valuable time. Time her enemies used to push further into the room, stumbling past the two men she'd already killed, and the man Piandao had downed. That man was dead; Pi had ended his life while she'd been beating out the flames.

He was fighting another guard, avoiding blasts of flames, but just barely. He was bare-chested and vulnerable. And he was flagging. She could see the hitch in his step, as his injuries caught up to him again. His arm was limp, the chains dragging along the floor.

Tam rolled under another blast of flame, as the Firebenders swarmed toward her. She tossed her sword, taking off one man's head at the shoulders, and then rolling again. Weaponless, she kicked the feet out from under one the guards, and then came up, launching herself forward. Close enough to three of the guards to jab her hands forward and then back, hitting three different pressure points in rapid succession.

Arms went limp, fire fading from fingertips. A look of shock and rage came over their faces. She kicked the expressions off with a snap of her legs. Their Firebending gone, their arms limp as noodles, they stumbled back, leaving her to snatch her sword from the debris of the door.

She lifted the sword, blood rolling down the blade and coating her fingers. She was breathing hard, her vision narrowed on the fight.

Pi was still fighting, but he had moved back again, looking winded, and clutching his side. Blood was flowing freely from the torn stitches on his side, and he looked pale. Too pale.

Fear shot through her heart as she rushed at him, getting in between him and the next burst of flames that came their way.

“Pi?”

But he didn't answer, breathing out, and his knee buckling. He crashed to the ground, groaning. She stood between him and their enemies and saw that seven new guards had entered the room. It wasn't a large room, and they filled up the space, taking all of the oxygen with them.

They were all Firebenders by the looks of them; they weren't carrying any other weapons. They didn't need them.

“LIGHT THEM UP!” one of the guards panted, his limp arm still dangling uselessly at his side.

“We have orders to capture them,” the lead Firebender snarled. “Put your weapons down. You've got nowhere to run.”

“Eat. My. Ass.” Tam snarled the words, her lip curling. “You want us, you're going to have take us.”

The Firebender shrugged. “The Grand Steward said to take you alive. He didn't say to take you whole. You'll probably live with half of your face burned off, right? Well, just look at your piece of shit Fire Lord for proof of that.”

“You can—” Tam started to say, but gasped when Piandao keeled over, landing face-first into the scorched carpet. “PI!”

She forgot about the guards, forgot about the fight, in an instant. She reached for Piandao, and the moment her hands touched his blood-covered back, something slammed into her, hard.

She was knocked away from Piandao, landing on her stomach, with something heavy on top of her. She screamed, and bucked, trying to get the guard off of her. She still had the sword in her hand, and she tried to slash at the nearest pair of feet as the guards rushed them.

She saw them bear down on Piandao, grabbing his limp arms and twisting them behind his back. They wrapped the dangling chains around his wrists and then used another clamp to twist them together. Piandao didn't move an inch, but she could see his back rising and falling, his eyelashes fluttering against his shining brow.

“Pi... Pi get up...” Tam said, her voice breaking, as a foot came down onto the top of her hand, heel grinding in. She bit back a scream of pain, her fingers opening against her will. The sword she'd been clutching was wrenched away from her. Her last protection, gone.

Pain ran down her side, and she felt blood on her arm, pooling on the floor beneath her. She ignored the pain, ignored the guard standing over, and stared past her pinned hand to the man lying unmoving on the floor a few feet away.

Tears swam in her eyes and she tried to shove the guard who had pinned her off of her back, but he was too heavy, and she had no leverage. He also had friends; two of them caught her legs to stop her from kicking.

“GET OFF OF ME! IF HE DIES I'LL—”

“You'll what?” a drawling voice said, grasping her hair and wrenching her head up off of the floor. “Face it, you lost, little girl. It was a good fight. You got plenty of my men...but it's over.”

Rage reared in her, edged with despair because some part of her knew that the guard was right. She had fought as hard as she could, but there had never been any hope.

They jacked her arms up behind her back, so hard she thought her shoulder would break. She avoided crying out, as they shackled her arms, and then her feet. She put her face down onto the floor, breathing hard, eyes squeezed shut.

“Fuck.”

They pulled her up off of the floor then, hauling her to her feet so fast her head spun. Her hair was in her eyes, clinging to the sweat and blood on her face. She panted, lips open, as she met the eyes of the guard who had taken her down.

“You done fighting, whore?”

Tam headbutted him.

He grunted, stumbling back and clutching at his head. Her own head throbbed, tears blinding her as the pain crashed over her. She looked up through her burning eyes, teeth clenched, and said, “The next fucker who calls me that loses an eye.”

The guard laughed, and so did his friends. She saw them picking Piandao up, and slinging him over their shoulder. He didn't move, his head dangling limply. Her heart seized, pain shooting through her, as they carried him out of the room and out of sight.

“She thinks she can still make threats. How cute,” he said, and then darted forward, jabbing her fight in the face with his elbow. Tam saw the blow coming, but there was nothing she could do to stop it, except brace herself for the impact.

She could still hear them laughing as she slumped in their arms, head rolling forward. She spared a thought for Piandao, as the laughter chased her down into painful, terrifying darkness.

* * *

Katara marched along the corridor, behind Kamen, glaring daggers into his back. Her heart was still hammering in her chest, Suki's words ringing in her ears.

She had confessed. Suki had confessed.

She still couldn't believe it. She _didn't_ believe it. Not of Suki.

She had known Suki for well over ten years. They had always been close, though she saw less of her than she did Toph because of Suki's work in the Fire Nation. She had wanted, at one time, for Suki and Sokka to marry. She had wanted Suki as her sister-in-law more than anything.

She had always known how kind, caring, and loyal Suki was. She would do anything for the people she loved. Anything. Even sacrificing herself.

That was partly because of her sense of duty as a Kyoshi Warrior, but it wasn't just that. It was a part of who Suki was, a fundamental strength of hers that could also be a flaw if someone knew how to use it against her.

Katara thought of the broken way Suki had screamed her confession, her eyes raw and bleak.

Someone had done this to her. There was no other explanation.

The breakout plan had fizzled in the wake of that confession, but Katara hadn't given up. She had demanded to see Grand Steward Luzhuo. She wanted answers.

She wasn't leaving until she had them. Piandao had told her in his letter that he thought Luzhuo was involved and having met the man, she knew that his suspicions were probably right. Luzhuo was impatient, unbalanced... She didn't trust him.

She spared a thought for Tam and Piandao. She hoped that they'd gotten away, that Lio and Fen had escaped too. If they hadn't, then everything had been for nothing.

A guard ran down the corridor at them, surprising her. He skidded to a halt in front of them, as

Kamen had halted, holding up his hand and gesturing for the guards flanking her to halt too. Katara stopped, peering around Kamen's shoulder at the guard who pulled up short and bowed to Kamen.

“Report?” he asked in a soft voice that was edged with anger.

“Captain, there's... There was a prison break,” the guard panted, standing at attention. “Councilman Piandao and that Kyoshi Warrior. She got him out. She killed several of our men.”

Katara exhaled, fighting a smile. Her joy turned to ashes in her mouth the next moment, however.

“Have they been captured?”

“Yes, Captain. The Grand Steward sent me to find you.”

Katara felt her heart crash to her toes, as Kamen swiveled and looked at her, a smile tilting his lips. It was a cold smile, bloodthirsty, and wild with the joy that had been stolen from her.

“Did you hear that, Master Katara? Another traitor for the pyres,” Kamen said, and then turned back to the guard. “Where did they take her?”

“The Grand Steward is with them.”

“They're alive?”

“Barely. Piandao needs medical attention. I doubt the Grand Steward is inclined to give it to him, though. They killed nearly a dozen of our men. It was a bloodbath.”

“I'm going to enjoy killing that little bitch myself...” Kamen said. “I'll show Hung how it's done.”

The messenger paused. “Hung helped them escape.”

Tam had mentioned Hung to Katara, but she hadn't said much other than he'd been a Smoke Demon who had lied to her and tried to have Piandao killed. She'd had the feeling something else had happened between them. If Hung had tried to help Tam escape...

“He did?” Kamen asked, simmering anger rising in his voice. “Well, he was always the weak tit on this mama cat...”

“The Grand Steward will be expecting you.”

“Of course,” Kamen said, and turned back to Katara. “Take her back to her quarters and keep her under guard.”

“No!” Katara said, pushing forward. “If Piandao is in need of a healer, then let me heal him!”

“And let you near water?”

“I can get water whenever I want,” Katara said, and lifted her hands, showing him the water she'd been drawing from the humid air as they'd walked. It sparkled in her palms, ready to use. She was tempted to do it, but she was outnumbered, and she had no idea where Tam and Piandao had been taken.

She couldn't leave them behind, and she couldn't cut her way through the palace looking for them. Not if she wanted to save them.

Kamen stiffened, one hand straying to the sword on his belt. “You wouldn't dare.”

“We both know I would,” she said and hoped he'd take her bluff seriously. “Besides, if Piandao dies then he can't be put on trial for his crimes. Let me heal him.”

Kamen hesitated and then curled his lip a little. “I'll have the Grand Steward decide that. Bring her, and don't let her out of your sight. She tries anything, take her down.”

Katara breathed out a little, as the guards grabbed her arms and she was marched down the hallway. They didn't get far before they found a crime scene, evidence of Tam's attempted prison break.

Her eyes bulged, as she was forced to step over puddles of blood, and then over the body of a man with a gaping sword wound in his chest. There were guards and cowering servants already cleaning up the scene.

Kamen said something to one of the guards, who murmured something Katara didn't hear. She was staring at the blood. She already knew who had done this. She tried to feel bad about it, but all she felt was numb.

“That Kyoshi Warrior and her geriatric boyfriend did this,” Kamen hissed, grabbing her arm himself and dragging her down the hallway. “They killed a dozen of my men. I'm going to enjoy what I do to them. And to Hung, when I get my hands on him...”

He led them onward, past the bloody scene, and up the stairs. The Fire Nation palace had always been a maze to her, and she usually got lost when she was there, but when they climbed a staircase and turned left, she realized she recognized exactly where they were going.

Her blood rushed to her face, anger tightening her hands, as Kamen lead her straight to Zuko's office.

At least, it had been Zuko's office until Luzhuo had claimed it for his own. Kamen opened the door and practically threw her inside of it.

She immediately stumbled over a burned body she took for a corpse at first glance. She stopped, gasping, as a pain-filled hazel eye opened and looked up at her. The man was lying on the floor with half of his clothing burned off, his hair singed to the scalp on one side, and burns racing from one side of his face and down the other. His arms were burned, raw and red, and bleeding.

“Oh, spirits!” she gasped and went down on her knees in front of him immediately. She didn't know who he was, though she knew he was wearing a guard's uniform. That didn't matter. Every instinct in her told her she had to help this man, whoever he was.

She gathered more water from the air and laid it over the worst of the burns on his face. It glowed bright blue as she bent toward him.

“It's okay, I'm here to help...”

“Don't bother. He's a dead man walking,” Luzhuo said in a hard voice, making her jump. She looked up, finally taking in the rest of the people in the room. “Hung helped the prisoners escape. He'll be punished shortly... If he doesn't die of his injuries on my carpet.”

“Where's Tam and Piandao?”

“Not here. I've put them somewhere safe for now. Piandao... He isn't doing well. He may not live through the night,” Luzhuo said. “It would serve him right, after the chaos he and that Kyoshi Warrior have caused me.”

“Let me heal Piandao! If you want him to go to trial, he needs to be healed!” Katara said, glancing at Kamen, who was standing over Hung and staring at him with a dead-eyed expression on his face.

“You weak ass little bitch,” Kamen said, and then he kicked Hung in the side, as hard as he could. Katara cried out, putting herself over him to stop Kamen again.

“DON'T!”

But Kamen bent and grabbed Hung's burned face in his hands. “You really fell for that little Earth Kingdom whore didn't you? You betrayed the Fire Nation...for what? A bit of trim? You disgust me.” And he spat in Hung's face.

Katara gathered the water, preparing to blast Kamen off of his feet for that, but the door opened behind him, and a man entered, walking slowly, his breathing a little uneven. She glanced at Lord Guo, whose gaze went from Luzhuo to her, and then down to Hung on the floor. His jaw tightened.

“What is the meaning of this, Luzhuo? I'm told there was a prison break? You told me the dungeons were secure?”

“Guo... Everything is under control,” Luzhuo said between his teeth. “We have no need of you. _Councilman_. The Kyoshi Warrior has been arrested attempting to break Piandao out. The dungeons are still secure. Suki is still in her cell, worry not.”

“And where is Piandao?”

“Safe.”

“No, he's not!” Katara interjected. “If he's sick, or injured, I need to see him!”

“Was Piandao injured?” Guo asked, walking forward, a limp in his step. He looked down at Hung, and he seemed to recognize him, his brow furrowing.

Luzhuo huffed out a breath. “It doesn't matter. He's going to die either way. He's nothing but a traitor. Like that bastard on my floor. He betrayed me and helped them escape. I even think he was going to kill me.”

Guo's brow rose a little, and then he looked up at Luzhuo.

“You will allow Master Katara to treat Piandao. He must stand trial for his crimes. We cannot have any doubts about his guilt, and we are not barbarians. Nor are we allowed to flaunt the laws of this Nation. Prisoners are to receive medical care, no matter their crimes. We cannot afford to dishonor ourselves now, Luzhuo.”

Luzhuo glared at Guo for a moment. Then he said softly, “As you wish. If it is the law... Take her to the healing ward. I'll have Piandao sent there.”

“What about Tam?” she asked, as Kamen grabbed at her, yanking her up.

“The Kyoshi Warrior is not your concern.”

“I want to see her.”

“You are a guest here, Master Katara, you do not give the orders,” Luzhuo sneered.

“Let me heal Hung too,” she said, glancing down at the man on the floor, who hadn't moved since Kamen's kick. He hadn't said anything; he seemed to be in too much pain.

“I will have our healers see to him,” Guo said. “Our healers know how to treat burns. They will care for him. Please, Piandao needs you right now. We would all be grateful to you, Master Katara, for your healing expertise.”

She glanced from Guo to Luzhuo, and had half a mind to warn him of her suspicions about Luzhuo. She didn't; he seemed just as convinced of Suki and Piandao's guilt as Luzhuo, and she didn't think he would listen.

This wasn't right though. Nothing about this felt right. She glanced between the two men, and then down at Hung, who had closed his eyes. He was still breathing, still alive.

“I...” She was torn again. She wanted to freeze them all into place, but she still didn't know where Tam was. A fight would just make things worse. “Fine. Please send for a healer for him right away. Those burns are severe. He needs a blanket if he can stand it. He's going into shock.”

Guo took her hands. “I'll see to it, Master Katara. Please, Piandao needs you. Captain? If you would escort her?”

Katara cringed away from Kamen's touch, but he grabbed her arm, and all but dragged her out of the room.

He didn't say anything as they walked, not until they'd reached the healing ward, and he stopped her, shoving her against the wall, and getting into her face. She didn't back down, glaring at him, daring him to do something.

“If I find out you had anything to do with that little prison break, I'm going to make sure you pay for it. You get me, Avatar's wife?”

“You try anything, or put your hands on me again and I'll cut them off. You _get me_ , Captain?” Katara said, and then shoved him in the shoulder, pushing him back and going for the doors. Kamen laughed behind her.

“Spirits, I love the married ones...” he said, following her through the doors. She didn't acknowledge his comment, marching into the ward. There was a healer, a pretty woman in her late thirties, standing there. Katara recognized her from her visits to the ward, but her name escaped her. The woman recognized her though and greeted her by name. She had barely had time to speak to her when the healing ward doors opened and a man was carried in a stretcher.

“Piandao!” Katara breathed, seeing the wounds and blood covering him. He was covered in bruises, and new slashes crisscrossed the old scars on his back. He was pale, and his lips were turning blue. He was chained and shackled, but it was clear that he wasn't going to be fighting his way out of anything.

The other healer descended on him too, and wordlessly they took over his care, bringing him back to a room immediately. Other healers joined in, hooking him up to a tube and a blood donor.

He had lost a lot of blood, but that wasn't the worst of it. The wound on his side was infected, and his fever was dangerously high.

Katara lost herself in the work, laying water over his wound and closing her eyes, trying to pour every bit of her strength into the old Master. Kamen hovered at the door, but she ignored him, taking Piandao's limp hand in her own.

“I don't know where Tam is,” Katara whispered. “But whatever happens... I'll find her. I'll figure out who is behind this. I'll find her, I promise.”

But Piandao did not wake.

* * *

The minute Katara and Kamen left the room, Guo crossed the room, standing in front of Luzhuo, who glared back at him. Daring him. Defying him.

Guo slapped him, turning the taller man's head. Luzhuo immediately growled and lit a fire around his hands, but Guo grabbed his face, pulling him down to glare into his eyes.

“You stupid. Reckless. Bastard.”

“I did what I had to do!” Luzhuo said.

“I needed Piandao. I told you that. I know you hate him. I know he's a traitor, but you can't let your grudge get in the way. Now he's in the healing ward. The trial will start in two days... I cannot put an unconscious man on trial.”

“Then let me kill him.”

“You've done enough. Where is the Kyoshi Warrior?”

Luzhuo hesitated, glaring at him. He jerked his face out of Guo's grip. “That one? That one is mine. She's my trophy.”

Guo lifted his brow. “I know what you like to do to your trophies, Luzhuo. I'm not letting you break her and put her body in the walls as you did to all of the others.”

“She's mine.”

“Where is she being kept? Tell me now, and I'll forgive you for trying to kill Piandao. Again. Defying my orders isn't a smart move, Luzhuo.”

“You should be used to defiance by now, Guo. Isn't that what your precious little Cara did?”

Guo hit him again, with his fist closed. The blow rocked Luzhuo back, but he didn't conjure flames again. He laughed, rubbing at his bearded face.

“Tender subject?”

“Do not mention that name to me again. I have no daughter. She is a traitor to this Nation. To everything that I taught her. I'll deal with her in time, but if you speak her name again, I'll cut out your tongue and leave you for dead.”

“But isn't that what you already tried, Guo?” Luzhuo said, surprising him. He gestured to Hung, lying on the floor, unconscious now. Guo's eyes trialed to the man, burned and pitiful. “I know you wanted him to kill me. He failed. Or rather, he wanted to get to that Kyoshi whore more than he wanted me dead. Lucky for me. Unlucky for him when he got in my way.”

“Luzhuo, if I wanted you dead, I would have killed you long before this. I had nothing to do with Hung's actions,” he lied smoothly. “He has a weak spot for that Warrior. He was confused... I had hoped he could be saved, but clearly... He has failed me.”

Guo rubbed at the wound in his shoulder. “Master Katara has seen Suki. Suki confessed everything.”

“To Katara. But Zuko is coming. She can't keep it up. She'll break, Guo. Kill her now. And kill him when he comes.”

But Guo sighed, standing over Hung. He prodded him with his shoe, the smell of burned flesh in his nostrils. It would seep into his clothing, he knew. He'd be smelling it for weeks. But it was a familiar smell to him. Almost comforting.

He cocked his head to the side, his mind running hard. He ignored Luzhuo's impatience behind him. He had wanted Hung to take the man out. Had hoped to blame it on Piandao. He supposed he still could, but that didn't matter now.

Katara was already suspicious of Luzhuo. He had seen that in her eyes, in her face. He didn't blame her. Luzhuo had no self-control. He was a liability.

But perhaps... Perhaps he would make a good scapegoat. He bent over Hung, touching his charred face, the skin cracking and oozing. Hung moaned, his eyes flicking open and then closed again.

“I needed Piandao,” he said softly, to himself. “I suppose... I'll have to make do.”


	30. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This takes place between chapters 78 and 79 of With Or Without You.
> 
> General Warning: This is dark. Be prepared.

Tam moaned, her head throbbing, her shoulders aching. She slumped again the wall, cracking open one eye to stare at the room around her. She tried to open her other eye, but it had swollen shut. She vaguely remembered getting an elbow to the face.

Right after they had taken Piandao.

Tam put her head back, eye closing again. Misery spread through her, as everything came back, sharp and bright and painful. She took a breath and then coughed, as her dry throat protested. Her mouth tasted awful; it had been hours since she'd had anything to drink.

She licked her lips, and found they were cracked and split. There was dried blood on her face, and she pulled on the chains securing her to the ceiling, picking at it just to give herself something to do.

The hours wore on, as she sat there on the hard stone floor.

She didn't know where she was. She thought maybe they had moved her to the prison. Maybe Ty Lee was close by. That gave her some comfort. Not much, but at least she wasn't completely alone.

Not like Piandao.

She wondered where he was. If he was alive. He hadn't looked good the last time she'd seen him.

Tears burned in her eyes and she wiped at her face, her swollen eye aching painfully.

He had told her he loved her though. He had kissed her. It had been everything she'd wanted for so long and then he'd been ripped away from her.

She thought of the way he had cupped her face, staring into her eyes. Telling her with every inch of his body how he felt. She had believed him. He hadn't even been angry about Hung.

Piandao had confused her, turned her upside down, made her doubt her own feelings...broken her heart... She had known she had feelings for him, but she'd had feelings for Hung too, and that had made it even worse. She hadn't realized, not until she'd seen that tattoo on Hung's stomach, just how she felt about Piandao.

It wasn't just a bad desire that had taken hold of her. She loved him. She hadn't wanted to admit it, afraid that he didn't feel the same way. He had rejected her, after all.

But he loved her. He had admitted. Finally admitted it.

She held that confession in her damaged heart, keeping it precious and tight, afraid to let go of it, because if she thought about anything she'd break down. She knew she would. She had fought for him, for both of them.

And it hadn't been enough.

She hoped that Katara had gotten Suki out of the dungeon, and out of the Caldera. If nothing else, at least she had that hope. She fell asleep, exhausted and in pain, and woke up to the sound of a key in the lock on the door of the cell.

The door opened, and a man she didn't expect walked into the cell. He crouched before her, studying her face as she tensed, staring at him in confusion.

“Hello, Tamarind,” Councilman Guo said softly. “How are you feeling?”

“Thirsty,” she said cautiously. Guo nodded and pulled a water skin off of his belt. He handed it to her, and she popped the cork out, drinking from it greedily. The water tasted good, cold, and clear. It helped wake her up, and it cleared the cloudy shroud from her thoughts. “Thank you.”

“You're welcome,” Guo said, standing again, staggering and clutching at his shoulder. He took an unsteady breath and then looked down at her. “Piandao is alive.”

She took a sharp breath, staring at him.

He went on, saying calmly, “Master Katara is with him right now. But he's in a healing coma. He won't be awake for days, I'm afraid. There is an infection...”

“Katara is with him?” she whispered, her hopes crashing to the floor. If Katara was with Piandao... “What about Suki?”

“Still in the dungeons, awaiting her trial.”

“Dammit!” Tam put her head in her hands, despair rolling over her. She looked up at him. “Guo, I know you think Suki's guilty. I know you think I am too. And Piandao. But you need to know... Luzhuo is behind this. All of it! He's installed new guards in the palace. It's a coup! You have to find out what he did to the old guards. You have to fight back!”

Guo shocked her into silence, laughing softly. The sound was eerie in the little cell. He stood over her, staring at her with interest in his yellow eyes.

“The old guards are dead. And it's not Luzhuo's coup. It's mine.”

Her blood ran cold instantly, as she stared up at Guo. Her mouth opened, her dry lips cracking painfully. “...You? You did all of this? But the assassin...”

“Her aim was a little off of the mark, but she did her job well. No one would ever suspect a man who was on death's door. Not when you can lay the crime at the feet of an Earth Kingdom whore like Suki. No one will ever suspect my hand in any of this. They will only see what I want them to see.”

It shouldn't have been a shock. Guo had always hated Suki, though he hid that hatred behind a careful mask of politeness. But Suki had known. They all had.

She hadn't realized that he hated her enough to frame her for murder.

“But Luzhuo...”

“Is my burden, and my agent. He's certainly good at acting guilty, mostly because he is. I'd thought he'd outlived his usefulness, but clearly, I was wrong.”

“Why are you telling me this?” Tam said, looking around.

“Because you are going to do something for me, sweet Tamarind,” Guo said. “I had intended on having Piandao turn on Suki. That's why I wanted you captured. Hung told me all about Piandao's obsession with you. I was going to dangle your life in front of his nose like a carrot. And then apply the whip until he did exactly as he'd been told. But he's been taken off of the board. I don't like it when my pieces have been taken off of the board.”

“Pi won't do it. Not even for me. He has honor, unlike you!”

“Honor? Honor is a cage, sweet Tamarind. I unshackled myself from the terrible weakness of honor a long time ago. And look where it has taken me.”

“You're betraying the Fire Nation.”

“I'm saving the Fire Nation, but I don't expect you to understand that. I don't get the feeling that you're particularly bright.”

“What do you want from me?” Tam snapped, drawing her feet in, not wanting to be any closer to him than she already was. She couldn't stand; her chains weren't long enough without her stooping. All she could do was sit there, and glare at him.

“What I want is not simple, sweet Tamarind,” Guo said. “Piandao is off of the board, but you remain. You were the carrot. Now you're the ostrich-horse. Do you understand what I'm saying? Shall I say it slower?”

“You'll kill Piandao if I don't do what you want,” she whispered.

“So you are brighter than I thought. Good for you,” Guo said, clapping slowly. “I will kill him. In front of you. Slowly. And there will be nothing you can do to stop it. All you'll do is scream.”

Tam took a breath, eyes closing shut tightly. “I won't betray Suki. She is my sister. Not even for Piandao. Piandao wouldn't let me do this. He wouldn't want me to.”

“But you love him.”

“I love Suki too.”

“Enough to let Piandao die? Luzhuo wants to kill him, and if I can't use him, then there is no reason to let him live. I could give him to Luzhuo, and believe me when I say, that is not a death I would wish upon anyone. Luzhuo plays with his food before he eats it. And I mean that quite literally.”

She knew that he wasn't lying, and the implications made her empty stomach churn. “What?”

“I'll give him to Luzhuo, sweet Tamarind. And you'll have yourself to blame for what he does to him,” Guo said. “Unless...”

“Unless what?” Tam asked, horrified now.

“You confess everything. And when the time is right... You do whatever I ask of you.”

“Do what?”

“That's not for you to know yet. But the carrot, Tamarind. Keep your eye on the carrot, or you will feel the whip. That I promise you. The guards in the palace are mine now. I can have Piandao killed at a moment's notice. I can have Master Katara killed. And your friend Ty Lee. I can kill all of them. I haven't. I am showing mercy.”

But she knew that was a lie. There was no mercy in him, only calculated evil. If he kept any of them alive, it was because he had a plan for them.

“I won't do anything to betray her. Or Zuko.”

“You will, eventually. I know you will. If you aren't useful to me, then I will dispose of you. Your body will rot in this cell for years before they find you. You won't be so pretty then, will you?” Guo said, prodding her with his shoe. She jerked away, and he cocked his head to the side. “Not so pretty right now, though. Are you?”

“What do you want from me?”

“Just think it over, Tamarind.”

“Stop calling me that,” she hissed.

Guo's lips curled, but he plowed on, ignoring her. “You don't have much time to choose, I'm afraid. The trial will be here before you know it. To hasten your decision, I'm going to bring you a little treat. Something to prove how serious I am.”

She didn't like the sound of that, and liked it even less when Guo banged on the door. It opened immediately, and two men carried a massive, wrapped bundle. She was about to ask what it was, when they let it go, and a body rolled out of it, landing on the floor at her feet. The smell of charred flesh filled the air and Tam jerked, her hand over her mouth, chains clinking.

“I believe you know each other. Tamarind, you do remember Hung, don't you?”

It wasn't until he said the name that she realized she was staring into Hung's pain-filled hazel eyes. He had been burned, terribly, his skin raw and oozing and starting to crack and bleed. Blisters festered and his hair had been all but burned off.

A cry left her and she immediately jerked in her chains, trying to reach out to him, but just as afraid to touch him. Afraid to hurt him. All of her anger over his betrayal melted away in an instant, as Hung lifted his hand and reached out to her. His hand dropped before he could reach her, his strength sapped by his wounds. His eyes were wide and shocky.

“Hey, Freckles...” Hung whispered, and her heart broke. She burst into tears.

“Hung...”

“I'll let you two get reacquainted. My healers tell me he doesn't have long. Perhaps he might have lived if he'd gotten medical care sooner, but alas... Hung failed me. And he betrayed the Fire Nation when he attempted to help you.”

“You have to help him, please...” Tam said, getting to her knees and jerking on the chains. “You have to!”

“No, I don't,” Guo said, as the two guards left the cell. “I want you to remember the next few hours, Tamarind, as he lays here and dies slowly right in front of you. I want you to remember what I am capable of, and what I will do to you, to Piandao, to everyone you have ever loved. When I come for you, you will remember.”

“You bastard...” Tam cried.

“Carrot. Whip,” Guo said, and walked out of the cell. The door slammed shut with a resounding bang, leaving Tam shaking, staring in horror at the riveted metal. She looked down at Hung, and her face crumpled.

“Hung...”

She reached out for him, but he was too far away. No matter how hard she tried, her chains were too short to reach him.

“I can't reach you!”

Hung took a rattling breath, and then slowly, agonizingly slowly, inched his way toward her. He collapsed with his head in her lap. She didn't want to touch him, afraid it would hurt, but he reached up with his unburned hand and clasped her fingers.

“I'm so sorry,” she whispered. “You saved me. You saved Pi, and I left you.”

“I tried...to kill him... M'not a good guy, Freckles...” he said, and she heard that humor she had so loved in his voice, threading through the pain. “Never was.”

“I used you,” she said, her voice breaking, tears falling down her cheeks and splashing on his raw skin. He looked like he was beyond the pain now.

“Used you too. Makes us...even,” he breathed. “M'sorry.”

“Me too.”

“Least I got to...see you again. Those freckles... Couldn't...resist 'em...” he said, and his lips curled into a sad smile. “Or your ass.”

She laughed, sobbing at the same time. “It is spectacular.”

“Yeah, it is...” he said and then coughed. His skin was burning up, and he was bleeding, oozing something warm onto her pants. She didn't care. She stroked the bit of his hair that remained. “You gotta... Gotta kill him. Luzhuo. Guo. Kamen. Kill 'em. Play along if you have to... But kill 'em when...when you get the chance. Promise me, Freckles? Promise me.”

“I promise, Hung.”

“It hurts,” he said, and he squeezed her hand. “Freckles... Freckles, it _hurts_. Please?”

She knew what he was asking. Knew it in her soul.

She let out a sob. “I can't.”

“Yeah you can. It's okay. Please. Don't... Don't make me beg. I will. I'll beg. It hurts so fucking much. I'm already...I know I'm dyin'... Don't wanna suffer... Please...”

Tam stared at him and then at the door. She wanted to scream for help, but she knew no help was coming.

She took a breath and then shifted Hung's head from her lap, getting to her knees above him. He looked up at her and smiled again.

“Thank you,” he whispered, as she bent over him, and pressed a kiss to his lips that lingered.

She pulled back and he met her eyes. Then he nodded.

“Freckles?”

Tam put her hand over his mouth and nose, pinching both of them shut as hard as she could. She squeezed her good eye shut tightly, but that didn't stop the tears from escaping, as Hung jerked beneath her. His hands weakly touched hers, as seconds turned into hours, and then hours into years until finally, his hands fell away, and he lay still.

Tam held on for another minute, until she was sure. Then she let go and looked down. His eyes stared up at hers, sightless, and still. She bent and kissed his forehead, stroking his hair back. She closed his eyes with her fingers, gently.

“I forgive you. I am going to make those bastards pay for everything they've done,” she vowed, and then sat back, all of the strength leaving her at once. She stared at Hung for a long moment and then buried her face in her hands.

She didn't cry. She was beyond that.

Anger rolled through her. Hard and deep.

Guo wanted her to play along. She didn't know what he wanted yet, but if he thought she was going to comply, she'd play his game. And she'd turn on him.

She would make him pay.

In blood.

**END**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the end of A Bad Desire, but obviously not the end of Tam and Piandao's story, as they will be in With Or Without You from now on. There will also be a one-shot dedicated to just the two of them once With Or Without You is completed, so look out for that!
> 
> I know that ending was D-A-R-K, and I really truly apologize for that. Tam and Piandao are not in good places at the moment, but that sets up the next arc in WOWY, which is super important (I mean...Tam is the only one who knows Guo is behind all of it! THAT'S HUGE! No one else knows that!) 
> 
> Anyway, they are both integral to the engame of WOWY, so if you want more of them, keep reading that story. Really, A Bad Desire was just me indulging myself and exploring how these two fell in love, and all the messy complications along the way I AM LOOKING AT YOU PIANDAO. It was a lot of fun to write, so thank you guys for reading. I know that ending is super dark, but the Happy Ending Guaranteed applies only to WOWY and the stories moving forward. This one was always gonna end on a cliffhanger. And I'm sorry about that. 
> 
> Worry not! They will get their happy ending eventually! PROMISE!
> 
> F in the chat for Hung, though.


End file.
